Final Fantasy 7: The Story
by Emerald Princess of Vernea
Summary: The first instalment of a complete novelisation of Final Fantasy VII. This instalment covers the beginning of the game up to Costa del Sol. See Instalments 2 and 3 for the rest of the story. Please read and review!
1. Part 01: Chapter 01

**_DISCLAIMER_  
  
Emerald, Princess of Vernea does not own Final Fantasy 7 and is not associated with it or its creators in anyway. This is a novelisation of the text (writing up these things is a hobby), and Emerald only lays claim to the written form and original dialogue that does not appear in the game. Everything else is copyrighted to Squaresoft, the creators of Final Fantasy 7.**  
  
**Final Fantasy VII  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Part One: Midgar  
  
Chapter One**  
  
A voice was calling.  
  
The stars were crying out.  
  
The spirits were unsettled.  
  
A young woman of about twenty-two years was stood kneeling in the middle of a dark alley, all alone. She was looking through the old, musty window of a run-down shop, with small green sparks of energy falling from a broken pipe around her, floating for a moment in the air before fading away. The woman blinked and placed her hand under her chin as she stood up and looked down, thinking hard. Or perhaps she was listening.  
  
Very suddenly the woman turned her head to her left and looked down the alley towards the street, suddenly awoken from her trance by a sound that had come from the street beyond. With a last fleeting glance back at the green sparks of energy she began to walk down the alley, her long brown hair swaying gently behind her, tied in a long, curled ponytail secured by a pink ribbon and a glowing white ball. Resting on her arm was a small reed basket that was filled with freshly grown flowers that were now in full bloom. As she walked along the dark alley her long pink dress flowed gently around her ankles and over her brown boots, and over the top of her dress she wore a dark pink-red jacket like a thin tunic.  
  
She eventually emerged from the alley and back onto the street, stopping very suddenly as a very large motorbike zoomed up and past her, missing her by inches, and continued to zoom out across the street. Coming from its exhaust pike was a long trail of thick, black smoke, and the driver was completely oblivious to the fact that he had very nearly knocked the young woman down. She looked around for a moment at the other people walking across the streets, each one oblivious to the event, walking hurriedly through the streets to avoid the muggers and thieves that often roamed about at night.  
  
The street was just as dark as the alley, for the night was set in the sky above them. Yet even in the daytime the city was dark. That was the way Midgar was. It was a cold and dark city, and yet it was always presented as the city where dreams were made. This city was the starting point for the energy of the whole world.  
  
The city was shaped like a giant circle, and was split into eight separate sections by large walls of metal, and eight separate towers bordering the corners. The towers were actually large reactors that sucked up energy from the ground below and converted it into energy that the people in the city used for their everyday lives. Another large tower was built in the centre of the city, much taller and thinner than the reactors, and it was in that building where the city's president and his workers lived, running the city from its well secured safety.  
  
There were two levels to the city. The upper level was on top of the eight sectors in view of the sky, and was in general much more well-run and designed. The buildings were secured and kept in an average state, although the streets were unclean and filled with pollution. The lower levels were the slums, where people unable to afford accommodation on the upper levels lived. The people who lived in the slums were often very poor, making their homes and livings out of anything they could find. The people above had no time for the poorer people, and were generally not thought of at all, even by the richest people.  
  
However, it was very easy to see the mass pollution that surrounded the city. The plain that it was built on was a dead and dry ring of black, strangely surrounded beyond that with an area of lush grass. It was as though all the life had been sucked out of the ground around the perimeter of the city, killing off all its lush life and replacing it with a dark, lifeless wasteland that merged into the rest of the land. In the city itself, the pollution came from the number of vehicles that wound through the dark streets, spewing their fumes into the air, although the people were no so used to it they didn't notice. The same noxious gases were being ejected from the tops of the tall reactor towers and into the air, polluting it even more, and again no one seemed to notice.  
  
At that moment the 11:30 train was just pulling into the station around one of the eight sectors of the city, pulling up close near to one of the tall reactor towers. It was quiet on the platform while the train began to slow down, with only two guards in dark red uniforms standing silently against the walls, trying to think of things to pass away the time until their shifts were over. They clearly weren't expecting anything to happen at any time soon, so they weren't expecting what happened as the train finally came to a gentle stop at the side of the station, and squeaked loudly as the rails skidded and stopped, and a loud puff as steam was released into the air. One of the soldiers glanced up, and then looked down again uninterested.  
  
While the soldiers weren't looking, a figure suddenly stood up on the roof of the train from where he had been perched behind one of the funnels that released the gas. He was fairly tall and wore a ragged sleeveless green shirt and dark black trousers and boots. His hair was short and dark brown, and he had a single red band tied around his head. His name was Biggs.  
  
One of the soldiers looked up as Biggs climbed up and jumped off the top of the train and landed strongly on the platform. Immediately he began to run to Biggs, knowing for sure that he wasn't a passenger on the train. As he neared him, Biggs reached out and grabbed the soldier by his shoulder, and then turned and harshly pulled on the soldier's arm, lifting him up and throwing him harshly over his shoulder. The soldier flew over quite easily and landed with a heavy thud on the concrete ground, knocked out instantly as he landed.  
  
The other soldier stared in surprise as he saw his colleague fall to the ground unconscious as the new arrival attacked him. He recovered quickly though and also began to run towards Biggs, ready to apprehend him for trespassing and assault. He reached out and grabbed onto a small gun that was latched onto his belt, just in case Biggs resisted.  
  
However as he ran across the platform, another figure suddenly ran out from the side of the train and stopped in front of him, and before the soldier could stop the figure suddenly lashed out and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying back against the side of the train. His head collided with the hard, cold metal and he slumped to the ground, also knocked unconscious.  
  
This new arrival was a woman, no more than twenty-five years of age, like her companion. She had long light brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and also had a black band tied around her head. She wore a grey top and black trousers, and even from her appearance she looked tough, but still very feminine. Her name was Jessie.  
  
As the second soldier slumped heavily to the ground, a third figure ran out from the open door of the train. He was a man, much heavier than Biggs or Jessie. It was fair to say that he was rather plump, but he wasn't so heavy that he couldn't move around. He was fairly short, with a yellow T-shirt and black trousers, and a head of short black hair and a nervous expression from his face. His name was Wedge. After a quick look around, he ran over towards his two friends.  
  
A fourth person then ran out of the train, running out of the last door at the far end of the platform. It was another man of about thirty-seven, and it was very clear from looks alone that he was the leader. He was very tall and burly, with large, well-trained muscles rippling under his black skin, thick like leather and firm to the touch. His face was strong and well structured, and he had a small black beard on around his mouth, and black hair on his head. He wore a torn green shirt and black trousers, but what was most amazing of all about this man was that on his right arm there was a large gun. His hand was missing completely on his right arm, and in its place there was the gun, grafted onto him so he could use it as a weapon. He was called Barret Wallace, and there was no doubt that he was the leader of the others.  
  
As Barret ran out of the train, he turned and signalled back at the train, and a fifth and final person stood up on the roof of the train, and whilst holding onto the edge of the roof, he flipped down and landed perfectly on the ground in front of Barret. This final person was much younger than all of the other people, and looked no more than twenty-one years old. He wore a strange purple outfit like some kind of uniform, with a large black belt around his waist to keep it in place. The top half of the suit clung tightly to his body like armour, while the lower half below the belt was much more baggy and free, tucked into his black boots. There were no sleeves to this suit, but over the young man's left shoulder there was a curved plate of metal with blunt spikes sticking out of it, like shoulder armour, and tied around his left wrist was a black amulet with empty circular slots in it. Resting on his back was a monster of a sword, for the blade was extremely wide and thick to cause maximum damage, and looked very heavy as it was strapped onto his back. He had a head of spiky blond hair, and it was fair to see that he looked rather attractive, even though he had a cold and uncaring expression. The most eye-catching feature about him was his eyes. They were a stunning blue colour, and they almost seemed to glow through the darkness as he looked over at Barret expectantly.  
  
"Come on, newcomer," Barret said curtly to the young man. "Follow me."  
  
With that Barret turned and ran off away from the young man, following his other three colleagues who had run off across the platform and through an open door just seconds before. The young man waited for a moment before he followed, and then began to run across the platform after Barret.  
  
Just as he past the first soldier that lay unconscious beside the train, another door at the end of the platform opened up, and two more soldiers ran out. These were different from the other soldiers, for they were wearing blue uniforms, and carried larger guns in their hands. They stopped for a second as they saw the spiky-headed young man just a few metres away from them, but then they charged forward with their guns at the ready, prepared to attack the intruders.  
  
The young man watched as the two soldiers ran over to him, not making any moves that would cause them to shoot him before they were close enough to him. Once they were just a few feet away from him the young man reached out and grabbed one of the soldiers by his arm, and then powerfully swung him around in a large circle. The soldier was hardly able to keep his balance as he was swung around, and could only see a blur as he staggered over his feet, so he was completely caught off guard as he slammed into his partner and fell down onto the ground, toppling down onto him, and the two soldiers lay stunned while the young man ran off hurriedly across the platform and out through the other door to the alleys beyond.  
  
Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were all waiting in the next alley, all standing nervously outside a large metal door that stood nearby. Jessie was kneeling at the foot of the door, typing furiously into a small metal box that was positioned on the floor, showing a small keypad filled with numbers and letters. The door was locked by a prefix code, and she was trying hard to crack it. Biggs and Wedge were standing behind her and watching for any soldiers that might come their way, and Barret was nowhere to be seen. As the young spiky-headed man walked over towards them, Biggs looked up.  
  
"Wow, you used to be in SOLDIER all right..." he said, his voice filled with awe. "Not every day you find one in a group like AVALANCHE."  
  
Jessie stopped typing for a second and looked up at Biggs, a flash of horror crossing her face. "SOLDIER!?" she exclaimed. The terror showed in her voice. "Aren't they the enemy? What's he doing with us in AVALANCHE?"  
  
"Hold it, Jessie," Biggs said hurriedly before Jessie started swinging her fists. Jessie was really quick-tempered when it came to something like this. "He WAS in SOLDIER. He quit them and now is one of us." Jessie nodded, but it was still clear from the look on her face that she was unsure. To hide her anxiety she turned back to the panel and began to type again, while Biggs turned back to the blond-haired man. "Didn't catch your name..."  
  
The young man looked at him indifferently. "Cloud."  
  
Biggs nodded his head slightly. "Cloud, eh? I'm..."  
  
In response, the man called Cloud shook his head. "I don't care what your names are," he replied coldly. "Once this job's over, I'm outta here."  
  
Slowly, Biggs nodded his head again and turned back towards Jessie, feeling a little put off by Cloud's cold response. Just then Barret ran up from one of the side alleys that wound their way around the reactor area, and came to a stop beside them. He looked from one person to another, and a wave of anger spread across his face.  
  
"The hell you all doin'!?" he raged angrily as he glared out at the four people standing in front of him. "I thought I told you never to move in a group!"  
  
Biggs, Wedge and Jessie all flinched as Barret shouted at them angrily. Cloud looked from one person to the other as they jumped and shuddered at the sound of Barret's angry voice, which gave him the impression that Barret shouted at them a lot. As he finished shouting he took a deep breath to calm himself, and then pointed up to the metal door that Jessie was trying to open.  
  
"Our target's the North Mako Reactor," he informed them, keeping the stern, almost stressed stone in his voice. "We'll meet on the bridge in front of it."  
  
At that moment there was a loud click from the door as Jessie finally managed to crack the code, and the large set of metal doors began to slide open, the metal scraping hard against the dry, paved paths of the alley. As the doors opened fully and stopped on either side of the wall the three minors got up and ran through the door before Barret could tell them to get a move on, running into the enclosed area beyond and out of sight. Barret ran forward towards the open door and watched his colleagues run on. Before he followed them however, he turned back towards Cloud. The expression that was on Barret's face said it all instantly. The elder man was looking at Cloud with a pure look of disgust and hatred, similar to the way Jessie had looked up in fear when Biggs mentioned that Cloud was an 'Ex-SOLDIER'. Cloud didn't know Barret really well at all, and Barret didn't know him, but with just one look Cloud knew that Barret didn't like him one little bit.  
  
"Ex-SOLDIER, huh?" Barret asked Cloud. Even in his voice, the waves of hatred that he was aiming at Cloud were apparent. He eyed Cloud up and down, and curled his lip angrily. "Don't trust ya!"  
  
With that Barret turned and ran off into the enclosure, following his teammates into the reactor area. Cloud stayed behind for a few moments as Barret ran out of sight, and then he turned his gaze up towards a tall structure looming above him.  
  
Their train had come to a stop at the very edge of the city of Midgar, right at one of the points where two sectors joined, separated by a reactor building. The tall tower that rose up at the edge of the sectors was just one of the eight reactors that powered the city, and was just one of the sources of Midgar's power and money. It was a very restricted area, and Cloud knew the consequences of what would happen if they were caught. For a second or two Cloud looked up at the tall, cylindrical shape of the reactor, before he too ran off through the open doors and into the vicinity of the reactor.  
  
The long alleyways that he ran through as he made his way silently through the reactor vicinity were empty, with hardly a single soul in sight. There was in fact no one around apart from him, which made it seem as though the operators of the city had very bad security, but that was because no one had ever attempted to break into the actual reactors before. Barret and his friends were the very first to attempt this, and it looked as though it was going to be an easy trip.  
  
Cloud soon spotted the other members of AVALANCHE up ahead. In the shadows around him he could see the tiny, silhouetted figures of Biggs, Wedge and Jessie as they made their way carefully through the shadows, using them as cover to prevent from being seen by the numerous CCTV cameras that were posted everywhere. The three moved at consecutive times, moving one after another to make quick dashes across the patches of light and diving into the shadows again just as the cameras swerved down in their direction. Cloud couldn't see Barret anywhere, but he got the impression that Barret wasn't going to be as subtle with his movements as the other three were.  
  
Eventually Cloud saw the building that they were heading towards: the building that was built just beneath the tall reactor tower. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were heading towards this tower, slinking across the shadows and avoiding cameras until they slipped through the open door and into the building. Moments after they entered Cloud saw Barret make a strong dash across the floor and into the building as well. Cloud waited until the camera on the other side of the alley he was standing in passed by, and then he also hurried over and slipped through the door.  
  
It was almost as quiet inside the reactor building as it was on the outside. There were hardly any soldiers around at all, which seemed quite unusual since this was supposed to be a high security building. There were one or two soldiers around, but as Cloud entered he saw that these blue uniformed soldiers were lying on the floor unconscious, after Barret and his cronies knocked them out.  
  
This was the first checkpoint of the mission. They were on a T-Junction bridge, with a door at the far end leading to another exit, and a door down the longer path leading towards the reactor. Wedge ran off from the group and stood at the far door, guarding their future exit, while Biggs, Jessie and Barret all ran down towards the other door. Cloud followed them.  
  
The three were waiting for him on the other side, standing outside another locked metal door. Biggs was trying to unlock the code for this one, while Jessie looked around anxiously for any signs of Shinra soldiers. Barret had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot impatiently as Biggs typed into the small console, and as Cloud walked up calmly he scowled, a pure look of dislike.  
  
"Yo, this your first time in a reactor?" he asked Cloud curtly, not even looking at the young man.  
  
Cloud shook his head. "No," he replied simply, also refusing to look at Barret. "After all, I did work for Shinra y'know."  
  
The mere mention of that fact seemed to make Barret scowl even more, and a look of concern once again spread across Jessie's face. They were in a Shinra building right then, with Shinra soldiers prowling anywhere. Jessie thought it was an extreme concern that they should have someone who once worked for Shinra working with them. Like Barret, she believed Cloud would have to prove himself a little more before she trusted him completely. Biggs and Wedge accepted him immediately, but she and Barret would need a little more convincing than that.  
  
"The Planet's full of Mako energy," Barret said suddenly, as though he was giving Cloud a rundown of the situation. "People here use it everyday."  
  
Cloud shrugged dismissively. He didn't really care what people used Mako energy for, and besides, he already knew. Barret glared at him angrily.  
  
"It's the life blood of the Planet, but Shinra keeps sucking the blood out with these weird machines!" he shouted heatedly, waving his arms around madly.  
  
Cloud sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'm not here for a lecture," he replied simply, expressing no anger. "Let's just hurry."  
  
Barret frowned angrily and pointed furiously at Cloud. "That's it, you're coming with me from now on!" he raged.  
  
Again Cloud shrugged. Barret's resentment towards Cloud did not bother him at all. In fact he didn't really care. Barret was a person with a lot of issues, and Shinra and SOLDIER was just a couple of them.  
  
At that moment Biggs typed in the right code for the door, and the panel glowed green.  
  
"Code deciphered!" he announced, and the door slid open. He and the other AVALANCHE members ran through the door into the smaller room beyond, which was just another security checkpoint, where another metal door blocked the way. Jessie ran straight to this door and punched a code into the panel.  
  
"Code deciphered!" she called out as the panel turned green, and the door slid open. Jessie, Barret and Cloud ran through the door to the next room. Biggs stayed behind in the middle room, since this was his checkpoint. The others meanwhile had to head down into the deep bowels of the reactor, where the core was. The elevator that led down into the reactor core was at the far end of the next room. Jessie ran up to the door and pressed a button. Almost immediately the metal door of the lift slid open, and together the three walked into the small, enclosed lift.  
  
Barret stomped over to the far end of the elevator and leaned against the wall, staring at the ground in deep thought. Jessie and Cloud walked in after him, and as the door to the lift slid shut Jessie pointed to the other end of the elevator, towards a small red button.  
  
"Press that button over there," she said.  
  
Cloud followed her instructions and pressed the button on the lift. There was a stomach-churning jerk as the lift began to move, heading down into the depths of the reactor building and underneath the upper plates of the city. Jessie looked up at the ceiling and sighed heavily, trying to calm herself. It was a stressful mission, and they didn't know when the enemy would show up, so they had to take every precaution that they could.  
  
While the lift began to move down the floors, Barret turned to Cloud.  
  
"Little by little the reactors'll drain out all the life, and that'll be that," he said to the mercenary, trying hard to make him understand.  
  
Cloud looked at Barret and shrugged. "It's not my problem," he replied.  
  
"The planet's dyin', Cloud!"  
  
The blond-haired mercenary shook his head. "The only thing I care about is finishing this job before security and the Roboguards come," he said.  
  
Angrily Barret turned away from Cloud and shook his gun-arm. For a second or two he was very tempted to turn and smack Cloud across the head, but he knew that was something he couldn't afford to do. Cloud may not have looked like the strongest person in the world, but he was an ex-member of SOLDIER, so looks may be deceiving. Cloud also had inside knowledge and experience of Shinra security systems, and although it was costing Barret an arm and a leg to employ Cloud's help, he couldn't risk Cloud walking out at such an important stage in the mission. So he swallowed his anger and refused to look at him. 


	2. Part 01: Chapter 02

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Two**  
  
The group of three then fell silent as the lift continued to move deeper into the reactor building. All the while Barret refused to look back at Cloud, for he was fuming by Cloud's lack of concern for the safety of the Planet.  
  
Quite frankly Cloud couldn't care less about Barret and his team. He knew far more about the Shinra and its reactors – far more than the likes of Barret did, and would ever know. He knew what sort of security Shinra had within the reactor buildings, and no matter how much research Barret and his cronies did, they would never understand the true scale of Shinra's reactors.  
  
At that moment the lift gave a sudden shudder as it came to a stop on the level below, and the door slid open. Straight away Jessie ran through to the section beyond. Barret glared at Cloud and nodded his head towards the door. He wanted Cloud to go first so he could keep an eye on him. Cloud sighed heavily and shook his head almost pitifully, and then ran through the door of the lift, with Barret following closely behind him.  
  
The next area was part of the main reactor system. There was a large metal structure in the middle of the hall, rising up until it almost touched the ceiling. There were a number of large, round pipes flowing all around the area, going into the walls and the floor, pumping power throughout the whole facility. The whole place was a booby trap in itself, which was why the reactors and maintenance was so important. One thing could go wrong in the building, and the whole place would explode.  
  
A set of stairs wound their way down the side of the metal structure, and Jessie, Barret and Cloud were hurriedly making their way down those stairs. Time was of the essence, since they had no idea when the guards in the building would be alerted of their presence. There was a single door based at the bottom of those stairs, leading into another chamber, and the three intruders kicked the door open and ran through.  
  
Now they were in the real bowels of the reactor chamber. The way they had entered was almost like a back passage, since the only way through was by going across a number of grids crossing about twenty metres above the ground. Jessie had managed to hack her way into the Shinra database and knew the outline of the reactor pretty well, so she led the way as they entered the reactor itself and began to run across the grids. The only way further down into the reactor was by going down a number of angled ladders towards over criss-cross grids.  
  
Jessie's stop was around here. As they climbed down the first ladder and onto the next level, Jessie ran over towards the other end and stopped by another ladder. She nodded at Barret, who nodded back at her. Now it was Barret's turn to lead the way down towards the reactor, whilst still keeping a close eye on Cloud.  
  
The AVALANCHE leader jumped up onto the next ladder and began to slide down towards the pipes below, and then ran across the bulky, spherical pipes that crossed over the ceiling above the main floor. Cloud followed him across the pipes and down the final ladder, until they finally reached the level where the reactor was based.  
  
Together Barret and Cloud walked down the long walkway towards the reactor. On either side where the bridge ended, there was a long drop towards the bottom. More pipes were gathered there, and clouds of red-hot steam prevented them from seeing what lay at the very bottom.  
  
The reactor lay just ahead of them. It wasn't very big in itself, for it was just a large cylinder half embedded in the wall, with faded, burnt writing scrawled over its surface. Of course within the wall there would be numerous contraptions designed for sucking out the Mako and converting it into energy to power the city, but that wasn't what they were interested in. It was the reactor that they wanted.  
  
As they approached, Cloud spotted something out of the corner, laid on the grated floor just a few metres from the reactor. It was a small green ball about the size of a tennis ball, and looked at first like a giant marble, although there was a strange kind of shimmer to it. Cloud knew what it was straight away. It was known as 'Materia'. It was a ball of compressed Mako energy that had been released from the reactor. Each bit of Materia had a different use. Cloud actually had two pieces of similar-looking Materia himself, slotted in special slots the black armlet he wore around the base of his black gloves. Two more slots were embedded on the blade of his sword.  
  
Barret also spotted the Materia on the floor, just after Cloud. He took a quick glance at the ex-SOLDIER, before he swiftly reached down and picked the Materia up, putting it safely in his pocket so Cloud could not get it. Cloud looked back at him blankly, not really bothered. Barret glared at Cloud angrily, and then walked up towards the reactor in front of them.  
  
"When we blow this place, this ain't gonna be more than a hunka junk!" he said to Cloud as he looked up at the reactor. There was a strong sense of hatred in his voice as he spoke about the reactor; similar to the way he spoke to Cloud. Barret turned around and pointed to Cloud. "Cloud, you set the bomb."  
  
"Shouldn't you do it?" asked Cloud.  
  
"Just do it!" Barret shouted suddenly, waving his strong arms angrily in the air. "I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'!"  
  
Cloud sighed heavily. "Fine. Be my guest," he muttered.  
  
He took a step forward, but all of a sudden he stopped. He froze to the spot, his muscles tightening almost until they hurt. A wave of cold ran through his veins, although he was not afraid. At the same time a high- pitched whistle began to ring in his ears.  
  
_Watch out!!  
  
This isn't just a reactor!!_  
  
The whistling faded, and Cloud felt his muscles relax and let him breathe once again. Surprised, Cloud stepped back and shook his head, shaking off that peculiar feeling that he had just experienced. There had been no voice the way he would describe a voice, and he wasn't sure whether he had heard anything at all. Barret clearly hadn't heard anything, for he was looking at Cloud with an impatient look on his angry face.  
  
"What's wrong?" he demanded.  
  
Cloud looked up and blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"What's wrong, Cloud, hurry up!" Barret ordered him, growing very annoyed with Cloud's stalling.  
  
"Yeah... sorry," Cloud apologised.  
  
He shook his head again and blinked. The feeling had disappeared now, and he could no longer hear the dreadful whistling in his ears. Whatever it was that had startled him so suddenly had gone now. Barret was becoming more intolerant of him by the second, so Cloud walked forward towards the reactor. Barret reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device, and passed it to Cloud. It was a bomb, one that clearly had been made by AVALANCHE themselves, and not one they had got professionals to make. Jessie was an expert in those kinds of matters, and she had made this bomb herself. It was small and fragile, but would be very effective against the reactor. Cloud took the makeshift device and knelt down beside the reactor.  
  
He placed the bomb at the foot of the reactor, pushing it right against the wall in its darkest crevice so that no one would spot it and disarm it before it could go off. There was a small keypad on the front of the bomb, to input a time limit. Cloud typed in 10:00. Ten minutes would be all they needed to make their way out of the building again, giving time to fight off any security that came their way.  
  
All of a sudden, a loud siren went off, ringing loudly throughout the reactor chamber. Barret looked up in surprise as a red light flooded the chamber. They should have known planting the bomb on the reactor wasn't going to be that easy. A loud grating noise suddenly began to reverberate throughout the chamber, and Cloud stood up and looked behind him.  
  
"Heads up, here they come!" shouted Barret.  
  
Coming down the corridor towards them was a rather nasty-looking robot. It looked like a giant, chunky scorpion made of red metal, standing on two thick legs that ended in pointy tips, digging into the metal grating as it stomped its way down the path towards Barret and Cloud. On either side of its body were two stocky arms, and over its chest was a metal plate bearing a searchlight, which was waving around frantically as it searched for the intruders. Its face was just a chunk of metal with flashing lights on the front, but rising up behind the robot was a large metal tail that was relaxed at that moment, and was tipped with a laser. Apart from SOLDIER, this was Shinra's most deadly weapon: a Roboguard.  
  
Barret raised his arm and cocked the gun embedded there, filling its chamber with a number of bullets. Cloud reached up behind him and drew his monstrous sword, holding it strongly in front of him with both hands.  
  
The Roboguard came storming up towards them, guided by its searchlight as it swept over the two intruders. It stopped on the path just a few metres away from where they were, and spread its arms wide. The robot was so huge that it blocked the path completely, leaving Cloud and Barret with no means of escape.  
  
Barret lifted his arm and aimed his gun at the robot. The gun was attached to certain nerves in his arm that allowed him to control the gun without a trigger, and as Barret desired it the gun suddenly fired, releasing a chain of bullets into the air. The bullets hit the robot's hard plated surface and penetrated instantly, ripping their way through the metal towards the robot's inner circuitry. The Roboguard shuddered violently as the bullets hit it, and fell to its knees, but it wasn't defeated that easily.  
  
The Roboguard pushed itself back up and dug its pointed feet hard into the metal grating. In return the Roboguard popped open a plate on its chest, revealing a small gun. The Roboguard fired at Barret. Hurriedly Barret jumped back to dodge the bullets, and Cloud dodged swiftly to the side. The bullets sailed past and hit the floor around the reactor. Large holes were punched through the metal as the bullets collided, missing Barret only by inches. Barret found himself cornered in the corner of the reactor, with Roboguard staring at him angrily through its flashing lights.  
  
Barret was safer than he realised, though. The Roboguard knew that it couldn't fire on the reactor, so it couldn't fire on Barret while he was there. It hesitated for a second, and then began to turn a little towards the other viable target: Cloud.  
  
Cloud lifted his sword up and held it in front of him, grasping the handle tightly in both his hands. The Roboguard turned towards him, although it was unable to move much because it was in the slim width of the metal path. However it turned just enough to face Cloud, and raised its long metal tail up in the air. Once it was raised up above its head it stiffened and began to quiver slightly, as though trembling in anticipation.  
  
Cloud did not move, for he knew what the Roboguard was doing. He glanced over towards Barret, who was just raising his gun-arm to fire on the robot while it seemed frozen.  
  
"Barret, be careful," Cloud warned him hurriedly. "Don't attack while its tail's up! It's gonna counterattack with its laser."  
  
Barret glared at Cloud with an angry look. He was still unsure as to whether he could trust him or not, since he was a former enemy. Cloud looked back at Barret with a serious look in his eye, and Barret finally listened and withdrew, and together they waited as the robot stood in front of them, its tail poised.  
  
Finally, the tail began to slacken and fall back down behind the robot, and the Roboguard finally began to relax a little.  
  
Straight away Barret raised his gun-arm and fired a series of bullets at the Roboguard, and it made a hideous screaming sound as the bullets struck its hard armour. It even withdrew a little, though not by much, for it was surprised by the attack, and not harmed.  
  
Cloud turned to Barret and signalled for him to cover him. Barret caught Cloud's signal and nodded his head, and watched as Cloud turned to the robot.  
  
The ex-SOLDIER spun his sword behind him and put it back in its strap on his back. He then turned to the robot and ran forward, falling on his back as the Roboguard swung one of its arms round to hit him. It missed Cloud by inches, and he skidded on the metal ground until he was underneath the Roboguard's body. As soon as Cloud was safely underneath the robot Barret began to fire again, and more screeching screams came from it as the bullets hit their targets.  
  
Underneath the robot, Cloud found himself looking up at the underside of the Roboguard. He flipped open a small hatch on the underside of the robot to where the main controls was hidden. Inside there were a number of flashing lights. While the robot shuddered and stamped its feet around him, Cloud began to punch a few of the buttons, trying to find the one that would deactivate the robot. Eventually he found it, and pushed it.  
  
There was a huge sigh from the robot as its power supply was cut off, and it sagged suddenly against the ground, nearly crushing Cloud as he slid out from under it. The robot's arms fell down onto the ground, and the lights on its 'face' went dark and empty. Now the robot was like a corpse blocking their path, no longer a threat. Barret went over to the robot and looked it over, a look of disgust on his face. He suddenly kicked the robot angrily.  
  
The alarm was still going on around them. There was no doubt now that the soldiers in the building knew where they were, and it would only be a matter of time before soldiers came to take the place of their fallen robot guard. Cloud looked at Barret.  
  
"Come on, let's get outta here," he said. Barret looked back at him and nodded.  
  
He and Barret both clambered over the powerless robot, and began to run down the corridor back the way they came, heading for the exit. There was only about ten minutes left on the bomb they had set, and no doubt Jessie, Biggs and Wedge would be getting anxious with the building ready to blow at any minute.  
  
The two threw themselves on the ladder and began to climb up at top speed to Jessie's lookout spot. As they reached the top Barret immediately turned and ran for the next ladder to head out of the building. Cloud was about to follow him, when he suddenly saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned back and saw Jessie still standing by her lookout. She had her back turned to him and appeared to be tugging on something.  
  
"You all right?" Cloud asked, running over to her.  
  
As he neared her he saw that Jessie had caught her leg in a piece of broken metal grating, and she was trying to tug it free.  
  
"My leg got stuck," Jessie replied, and Cloud knelt down beside her to help pull her leg out of the grate. It came away quickly, and Jessie stood up. "Thanks."  
  
She and Cloud then turned and began to follow Barret up the ladder. Barret, of course, was already out of the building and halfway up the stairs towards the lift. As he expected there were a few soldiers running down the stairs after him now, but Barret very easily disposed of them, either by shooting them with his gun-arm or simply by throwing them over the sides of the stairs. Even as Cloud and Jessie followed further down, they had to fend off the soldiers coming up the stairs. None of them wanted to be in that building when it blew.  
  
They eventually made it to the lift. Barret ran in first, followed by Cloud and Jessie. Jessie ran straight to the button and pushed it repeatedly to make it go up, and the lift doors shut tight as the lift began to shakily go up. As the lift went up Jessie looked at her watch impatiently, counting off the seconds in her head. She glanced up at Cloud and gave a shaky smile. She was anxious, but was still enjoying the thrill of what she was doing.  
  
The lift finally stopped and the three poured out onto the corridor. Biggs was waiting for them at the end, standing by the door that had shut as the alarm sounded. Jessie tore on ahead of Cloud and Barret and rapidly punched in the code to open the door. It was a different code now, but she had done her research well and was prepared.  
  
"Code deciphered!" she shouted over the sound of the siren. The doors opened and they all fell through, where Biggs ran to the next door and punched in his own code.  
  
"Code deciphered!" he yelled as the doors opened, and the group ran through.  
  
The AVALANCHE members darted out of the room and back onto the T-Junction corridor. Wedge was still waiting for them impatiently at the door on the opposite side to where they came in, looking around anxiously as the alarm sounded around him. He looked up in relief as he saw the others running his way, and he kicked open the door to let them through.  
  
One by one the group dashed through the door, with only a few seconds left before the bomb would blow. As they ran Jessie suddenly tripped over her boot and fell onto the ground, lying stunned until a pair of strong arms suddenly pulled her roughly up off the ground. It was Cloud. Once she was up she began to run again, with Cloud close behind her, and through the door.  
  
As they ran through the door a loud explosion occurred from within the building they had just left, and a giant ball of flames suddenly burst through the doors and into the corridor as the bomb exploded. The entire building shook violently as though struck by an earthquake.  
  
Then the main explosion occurred. Outside the reactor suddenly exploded, sending a large shockwave of energy hurtling through the air and across the city of Midgar. A ball of flames rose up into the air, followed by a mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke. The smoke rose quickly into the air, blending into the dark land around it. Bits of metal from the exploded reactor fell out around the sector where it had been built, and down into the city below. No doubt the whole city heard the explosion, and the flames could be seen for miles around. 


	3. Part 01: Chapter 03

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Three**  
  
As the explosion calmed down, Cloud and the members of AVALANCHE stood silently in a corridor, still inside the Shinra building. The force of the explosion had caused the reactor to be completely ripped apart, and a large chunk of it had fallen down in front of them, crushing part of the corridor and blocking their exit. At that moment Jessie was on her knees with a smaller, less violent bomb, and was busy encoding it beside the wreckage. The others all stood around her in silence, contemplating over the acts they had just done.  
  
"That should keep the Planet going," Biggs said suddenly, breaking the silence. The others looked at him. "At least a little longer."  
  
"Yeah!" Wedge said enthusiastically.  
  
Barret crossed his arms and looked down towards the ground. "............" He muttered silently.  
  
Cloud leaned against the wall with his own arms crossed. He made a darting glance towards Barret. The AVALANCHE leader was completely silent, and had remained so since the bomb exploded. Cloud thought at first maybe Barret was having regrets over what he had just done, but as he saw a small smile of relief cross his face, Cloud knew that he did not regret it. The explosion of the reactor would have caused a lot of damage to Shinra, and Barret seemed glad to know that.  
  
Just then, Jessie stood up.  
  
"Okay," she said. "Now everyone, get back!"  
  
The group all jumped up and ran back into the corridor away from Jessie's bomb.  
  
Moments later the bomb exploded, not as loudly or as destructively as the one that destroyed the reactor, but powerful enough to shatter the wreckage that blocked their way and revealed the exit. The doorway was now surrounded by a wall of flames made by the bomb, so the only way the group would get out of there was to jump through it.  
  
Cloud was the first to jump out. He flipped out of the door and rolled quickly onto the ground to put out any flames that may have caught him as he jumped through. Once he was sure that there were no flames on him, he stood up and turned back.  
  
Barret was the next to jump out of the door. Jessie and Biggs, who ran out with their arms shielding their faces from the flames, followed him closely. Wedge came out last. As he ran out he patted the back of his trousers rapidly, a line of smoke rising from them where they had caught fire. He patted the small spark of fire until it went out, and then he turned to Barret.  
  
"All right, now let's get out of here!" Barret said suddenly. "Rendezvous at the Sector 8 station. Split up and get on the train."  
  
Biggs, Wedge and Jessie nodded, and then turned and ran off in different directions towards the sector, continuing their separation techniques to avoid any suspicion. Barret waited until the three were out of sight before he too began to run away.  
  
"H-Hey!" Cloud protested suddenly.  
  
Barret stopped on the stairs near to where they stood, and looked back at Cloud.  
  
"If it's about your money, save it 'til we're back at the hideout," he replied. The harsh tone was still in his voice as he spoke to Cloud. Even after all they had just done, Barret still did not trust Cloud. Before Cloud could protest again, Barret was off and away up the stairs towards the nearby sector, following his comrades.  
  
Cloud waited a minute or so before he followed. He walked up the stairs that led up into the sector, and looked out at the aftermath of the explosion.  
  
There was complete discord in the sector right then, just as Cloud expected. The explosion of the reactor had caused a panic in the city, and there were many people running around madly in fright as they wondered what had just happened to them.  
  
Wreckage from the blown up reactor lay everywhere on the streets, and had even destroyed some of the buildings. The old theatre in the sector centre was in ruins, and everything had come to a complete stop. A giant chunk of the reactor was still lying smouldering in the sector centre, and it was here that the people were running around the most, crying out to each other as they tried to figure out what was going on.  
  
As they looked up towards the spot where the reactor had once been, they could see that it was on fire. Clouds of smoke were billowing up into the air in giant gushes, and flames were still covering the broken cylinder. The explosion of the reactor had caused a power cut throughout the city and it was very dark indeed.  
  
The young flower lady was still standing on the street corner beside the theatre, looking around in bewilderment as she tried to figure out what was going on around her, although she was much calmer than the rest of the citizens. A man suddenly ran into her as he ran past in a panic, and she fell back onto the floor.  
  
As she stood up and brushed herself off, wiping away the dirt, she spotted Cloud as he walked past, trying to look casual amongst the panicked people. She quickly ran over to him.  
  
"Excuse me," she said in a delicate voice. Cloud stopped and turned to her. "What happened?" she asked.  
  
For a moment Cloud nearly panicked, unsure of what he should say to the woman without her arousing suspicion that he had anything to do with the explosion. As he looked into her face he felt something strangely peculiar about her. There was a strange feeling emanating from her, something he couldn't quite pinpoint. She looked very kind and gentle, and her brown eyes were very calming and almost spiritual. She seemed very innocent, and not the type of person he expected to see in a rough and run down sector such as this one.  
  
"Nothing..." Cloud told her plainly. At that point he should have walked away, but for some reason he felt almost compelled to say something. "Hey, listen... uh..." The woman looked at him inquisitively, and Cloud rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Don't see many flowers around here," he said finally.  
  
The woman blinked at him, confused. Then she looked down at her basket. "Oh these?" she asked. "Do you like them? They're only a gil..."  
  
She looked at him hopefully. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out a two that he had kept, and passed them to the girl.  
  
"Oh, thank you!" she said. She put the two coins in her pocket, and then took two different flowers from her basket – one pink, the other blue – and handed them over to Cloud.  
  
"Here you are," she said, and Cloud took the flowers.  
  
Before he could say anything else the woman was walking off. Cloud watched her as she walked away from him, still feeling that peculiar feeling about her. He did not know what that feeling was, but he was certain that there was something about that girl. He shrugged, dismissing the feeling, and continued to head through the sector towards the station.  
  
By now the people were beginning to settle down, and the streets were a little quieter than they were a few minutes before. There were only a couple of people wandering around now, and they were no longer running in a blind panic. Even the power was beginning to return now as Shinra reconnected the power lines through another reactor, so things were gradually beginning to return to normal.  
  
No one took any notice of Cloud as he walked along, for they were so busy wrapped up in their own affairs. As Cloud walked along, he stopped and looked up at a nearby wall that had just been lit up by a street lamp as it came back on. There was a message written on the wall in bright red spray paint, and Cloud recognised the words.  
  
_Don't be fooled by Shinra!  
Mako energy doesn't last forever!  
Mako is the Planet's life source!  
The end is in sight!  
  
Protectors of the Planet: AVALANCHE._  
  
Cloud shook his head. Barret. Only Barret would write a message like that on the wall, not caring whether he was caught or not. He didn't know why Barret was so hell-bent against the Shinra Company, and, quite frankly, he didn't really care. All he cared about now was getting his pay and getting out of there. He had no other reason to stay with the rebel group now that his work was done.  
  
Cloud left behind the painted sign and carried on down the street towards the train station where they were supposed to meet. By now the streets were completely abandoned and no one was around, as far as Cloud could see.  
  
"Hey! You there!"  
  
Cloud stopped in surprise, realising that he wasn't alone after all. He turned to look behind him, and saw two soldiers dressed in blue uniforms walking towards him. They each had rifles in their hands, and were advancing on Cloud slowly.  
  
"Shinra Soldiers!" Cloud cursed. He quickly turned and ran down the street away from the soldiers.  
  
"Halt!" one of the soldiers shouted, but Cloud continued to run.  
  
Seeing this, the two soldiers raised their rifles and began to fire at Cloud, for they had seen him as suspicious the moment they laid eyes on him. Cloud could feel the bullets striking the ground at his feet – they weren't trying to hit him, but to make him stop. He reached the end of the street and turned sharply right to the next street.  
  
As he turned, he quickly skidded to a stop. There were two more Shinra soldiers standing directly ahead of him, also with rifles that were aimed at him. Quickly Cloud turned around and headed the other way, and the soldiers began to chase him. Cloud only managed to run a few steps before another two soldiers burst into the street directly ahead of him, blocking off his only escape route. Turning back he could see the other four soldiers advancing on him, and on the other side the two soldiers ahead were also advancing, their rifles raised and ready to fire. Cloud had no way to go, so instead he backed off slowly towards the edge of the bridge that was behind him – overlooking the railway. The sound of the train's horn could be heard faintly as Cloud found himself cornered at the edge of the bridge, the six soldiers surrounding him in a semi circle.  
  
"That's as far as you go," one of the soldiers said smugly. Each of the soldiers had their guns raised, ready to fire if Cloud made any other attempts to escape.  
  
"I don't have time to be messin' around with you guys," Cloud protested, but it was useless trying to fool the soldiers. They knew he had been up to something.  
  
"Enough babbling. Grab him!" the soldier commanded.  
  
The soldiers then began to advance once more, and Cloud had nowhere to run. The sound of the train's horn came again, this time much louder, followed by the sound of the train on the tracks in the tunnel below. Cloud opened his eyes wide as he had an idea.  
  
Quickly he turned and stepped up onto the edge of the bridge away from the soldiers. Realising his plan the soldiers quickly dashed forward, but couldn't stop Cloud as he jumped off the edge of the bridge, just as the train appeared from the tunnel below.  
  
Cloud landed on the top of the train and balanced steadily as it sped away from the sector. It moved hurriedly away from the bridge where the six soldiers were cursing loudly at his escape, and could only watch as the train disappeared into the next tunnel ahead of them, carrying Cloud with it.  
  
The other AVALANCE members meanwhile, were inside the cargo hold of the train, after they had quietly snuck aboard before the train left the station. They had waited as long as they could for Cloud, but eventually had to board to avoid being caught by the soldiers that were roaming the sector for them. As such they were very quiet and sombre as they stood in the last car of the train, imagining the worst for Cloud. Barret was the only one who didn't look worried. Instead, he had a frown on his face.  
  
"Cloud never came," Wedge spoke up suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon them.  
  
"Cloud..." Biggs muttered quietly, concerned. He looked up. "Wonder if he was killed?"  
  
"No way!" Barret snapped irritably, before turning back to look at the floor, his arms folded.  
  
Jessie sighed heavily. "Cloud..." she whispered. She wanted to thank him for helping her, for she would most certainly have been killed in the explosion if Cloud had not stopped to help her – twice.  
  
Just then the sound of a loud scrambling sounded throughout the car. Curious, the four AVALANCHE members looked up and glanced at one another, trying to discover who had made the strange noise. The looks on their faces suggested that none of them did, and so they turned their gazes back to the floor, their expressions turning back to sorrow and concern. A few seconds later Biggs looked up once more, and turned to Barret.  
  
"Say, do you think Cloud's... going to fight to the end for AVALANCHE?" he asked hopefully.  
  
The irritation on Barret's face showed as plain as day. "The hell would I know!?" he barked angrily. He clearly didn't even like to hear Cloud's name. "Do I look like a mind reader!?"  
  
Suddenly he unfolded his arms and banged his fist hard on a nearby crate, hitting it so hard it shook.  
  
"Hmph! If y'all weren't such screw-ups."  
  
"Hey, Barret," Wedge piped up, trying to change the subject. "What about our money?" Another single thud on the crate from Barret made Wedge shrink back nervously. "Uh... nothin', sorry..."  
  
Gradually the four members of AVALANCHE sighed once more, and continued to stand in silence as they listened to the train travelling rapidly on the rails, thinking once more about what could have happened to Cloud.  
  
At that moment a loud knocking noise suddenly reverberated throughout the car, and the four looked up at each other again. Realising that none of them had made the sound they looked down at the ground again. The knocking noise then came again – louder than before and seeming to come from the outside of the car. Still the AVALANCHE members did not notice this, and continued to stare at the floor. Finally the door leading out of the car opened up to reveal the tunnel wall that was zipping past. Then a figure suddenly flipped in from the train roof, and landed with a thud on the ground in the middle of the car. Jessie gasped in delight as she saw the figure standing there. Dirty though he was, covered in soot, it was Cloud.  
  
"Cloud!" she exclaimed, along with Biggs and Wedge.  
  
Slowly Cloud stood up and began to brush the layers of soot that had gathered on his arms and clothing after he had scrabbled across the roof of the train, trying to find the car where the AVALANCHE members were hidden. When he finished he flicked his blond hair and looked around at the relieved faces of the AVALANCHE crew.  
  
"Looks like I'm a little late," he commented plainly.  
  
Only Barret did not look relieved at Cloud's safe arrival. The look on his face grew even more angry and frustrated as Cloud stood there, seeming to ignore the worry that he had just put everyone through. His fist shook angrily in anticipation of hitting Cloud, and was barely able to contain his anger.  
  
"You damn right you're late!" he shouted at Cloud heatedly, unable to see how Cloud was acting so cool about it. "Come waltzin' in here, makin' a big scene!"  
  
Cloud held out his hands and shook his head. "It's no big deal. Just what I always do."  
  
"Shi't!" Barret swore loudly, losing his temper with Cloud. "Having everyone worried like that, you don't give a damn 'bout no one but yourself!"  
  
Cloud shrugged dismissively. Then a strange smirk spread across his face as he looked at Barret almost tauntingly.  
  
"Hmm... You were worried about me?"  
  
"Wha!" Barret raged, thrashing his arms through the air. For a moment it looked as though he was going to hit Cloud there and then, but he managed to calm himself just in time, although his temper was still flared. "I'm takin' it out of your money, hot stuff!" He turned quickly and headed towards the door leading into the next train car. "Wake up! We're movin' out! Follow me."  
  
With that, Barret pushed open the door of the car and headed out, leaving Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE behind him, although he left the door open. Wedge was the first to push himself up off the crate he had been sitting on, and walked to Cloud.  
  
"Hey, Cloud, you were great back there," he commented, before he turned and walked through the door after Barret. Once he was gone Biggs walked to Cloud.  
  
"Heh, heh, Cloud! We'll do even better next time," he said, and he also walked through the door.  
  
Jessie was the only one remaining in the car with Cloud. She waited for a few moments as her two colleagues disappeared through the door, before she pushed herself away from the wall and headed towards the open door leading into the tunnel.  
  
"Be careful," she warned Cloud. "I'll shut this."  
  
Cloud watched as Jessie pulled the lever that released the door, and pushed it shut. When she was done she turned to Cloud, and looked him up and down carefully. A smile spread on her face as she did so, and nearly burst out laughing.  
  
"Oh, Cloud!" she laughed. "Your face is pitch black!"  
  
Before Cloud could react she suddenly reached out and began to rub at his face with her hand, wiping away all the soot that had been smeared over him when he was on the roof. When she had got most of it off she pulled away and smiled.  
  
"There you go," she said. She then walked past Cloud, heading for the other door, when she suddenly stopped and looked back at him with another gentle smile. "Say, thanks for helping me back there at the reactor."  
  
Then she passed through the door, leaving Cloud alone in the cargo car. He waited for a moment before he finally walked through the door towards the next car. 


	4. Part 01: Chapter 04

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Four**  
  
The next car was quiet and almost empty, with just a couple of strangely dressed punks at the far end, a man in a posh suit holding onto the rails looking sick, and a few layabouts with no real place to go, almost seeming to be making their home in the train itself. It was quiet, until the speaker on the wall crackled into life, and a computerised voice spoke out to them.  
  
"Last train out of Sector Eight station. Last stop is Sector 7, Train Graveyard. Expected Time of Arrival is 12:23am, Midgar Standard Time."  
  
At that point the door at the far end of the car opened and in came AVALANCHE. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge all stormed into the centre of the car and looked around, their fists clenched and ready for a challenge. Upon their entry the two punks jumped in fright and quickly charged out of the car. Barret then entered the car and quite confidently and arrogantly sat himself down on one of the seats, his arms spread out across the top to mark his territory. Shakily the man in the suit released the rail he was clinging to, and turned away.  
  
"This is why I hate the last train," he mumbled quietly to himself. "Hoo- boy." He then walked out of the car, in the hope of a less threatening place to sit.  
  
Only the layabouts and unnecessary people remained in the car, and seemed to ignore the group as they made themselves comfortable in the car. One particular man was reading a paper to avoid looking at the group, and as he read he suddenly turned to his companion next to him and showed him the recently printed article.  
  
"See the headlines in the Shinra Times?" he asked. "The terrorists that bombed the Number One Reactor are based somewhere in the slums. Blowing up a Reactor... They sure put some thought into this one. They must have a real calculating leader." Barret looked up upon hearing that, although he tried to look nonchalant. "I wonder what they'll do next..."  
  
Just then the man looked up and spotted Cloud standing next to him, who had also been listening to the conversation. He gave Cloud a curious look, and Cloud quickly turned his head away to avoid his gaze. He quickly walked down the aisle, where Barret suddenly reached out and grabbed Cloud's arm, pulling him harshly close to him and whispered sharply down his ear.  
  
"Stop acting like a damn kid!" he ordered Cloud roughly. "Si'down and shu'up!"  
  
Just as roughly Cloud wrenched his arm free out of Barret's strong grasp and continued down the aisle to where Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were standing casually. Barret glared at Cloud for a few more seconds before turning away, his face glaring angrily at the people around him.  
  
"It seems as though this train hasn't switched to security mode yet," Biggs said suddenly, and Cloud turned to him. Biggs was leaning against the wall, glancing out of the window and watching the tunnel zip past them like a blur. He turned to Cloud. "I'm sure that will change by tomorrow." He smiled knowingly, when all of a sudden he yawned loudly. "That sure took its toll on me... I'm gonna sleep till we get back to the station."  
  
With that Biggs crossed his arms and leaned heavily against the wall, closing his eyes and relaxing for the rest of the journey. Cloud turned to the other side of the train, where Wedge and Jessie were stood. Wedge was holding onto the rail nervously, while Jessie was staring blankly at a computer screen in front of her. As though sensing that Cloud was watching, Wedge suddenly turned around to face him.  
  
"Someday, AVALANCHE is gonna be famous – and me, too!" he said excitedly. "Cloud, don't you think I've got a bright future ahead of me?"  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Cloud asked. Truthfully he didn't care what plans Wedge had for the future, for they were no doubt meaningless and probably wouldn't amount to anything. Still, Wedge seemed excited, and it seemed only fair to hear him out.  
  
Wedge smiled happily. "All my life I've felt like nothing but a sidekick. But after joining AVALANCHE and trying to save the Planet, I feel like I can do lots of things." He then turned away, and Jessie turned to him.  
  
"Hey, Cloud, you want to look at this with me?" she asked. "It's a map of the Midgar Rail System. Let's look at it together. I'll explain it to you. I like this kind of stuff. Bombs and monitors... you know, flashy stuff."  
  
Cloud walked up next to her, and Jessie showed him the blank computer screen. As he stood beside her she reached out and pushed one of the buttons below the screen.  
  
"Okay, it's about to start," she said.  
  
As she spoke the screen came to life, and a 3D graphic image of Midgar appeared. It showed the whole circular shape of the city, as well as its top plates and underground cities.  
  
"This is a complete model of the city of Midgar," Jessie explained, sounding like an auditor giving a speech to a group of tourists. "It's about a 1/10,000 scale. The top plate is about 50 metres above ground. A main support structure holds the plates up in the centre and there are other support structures built in each section."  
  
She suddenly leaned in close to Cloud and whispered quietly into his ear.  
  
"The No. 1 reactor we blew up was in the Northern section. Then there's No. 2, No. 3, all the way up to the No. 8 reactor. The eight reactors provide Midgar with electricity. Each town used to have a name, but no one in Midgar remembers them. Instead of names, we refer to them by numbered sectors. That's the kind of place this is." She sighed and turned to the screen. "Phew, this is next, look."  
  
The screen in front of them flashed as a new image appeared on the screen. The screen appeared to zoom in on a particular part of the city map – in particular the sectors that the train was currently travelling through. A number of white dots began to appear on the map, following a strict route from one sector to the other.  
  
"This is the route the train is on," Jessie continued, indicating the white dots. "The route spirals about the main support structure, we should be coming around the centre area, right now. At each checkpoint an ID sensor device is set up. It can check the identities and backgrounds of each and every passenger on the train by linking it up to the control data bank at Shinra Headquarters."  
  
She leaned in once more to whisper to Cloud.  
  
"Anyone could tell that we look suspicious, so we're using fake ID's." Her speech was cut short as a bright red light suddenly flashed throughout the car, followed by a faint beeping noise. Cloud jumped and looked up as the red light swept over everything and everyone in the car, but he could see that he was the only one reacting to it. Jessie laughed at his reaction, and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Speak of the devil..." she commented. "That light means we're in the ID security check area. When the lights go off, you never know what kind of creeps'll come out. Anyhow, we're almost back now, that's a relief..." She paused for a moment, thinking hard, until she clicked her fingers. "I know, next time I'll give you one I made myself."  
  
"Looking forward to it," said Cloud.  
  
"Okay, then I'll put a little extra effort in, and make it with a BANG!" Jessie said excitedly, seeming to get fired up at the prospect of making Cloud a fake ID. "We're almost there. After talking with you, I really want to do it. I think you've lit my fuse!"  
  
She turned away back to the computer, still looking eager and excited. Cloud just shook his head and turned away from her, thinking she was extremely strange. He walked back to the main aisle, where Barret had turned to look out of the train window, and was looking up.  
  
"Look, you can see the surface now," he said solemnly. "This city don't have no day or night. If that plate weren't there, we could see the sky."  
  
Cloud walked over to where Barret was sat and leaned over to look out of the window. Looking through he could see the various beams that criss- crossed above them. Beyond that there was a dark sky of dark grey-black metal, which was the surface of Midgar. On top of that plate would be the upper parts of the city, where the richer people of Midgar bought actual houses above the plate, where they could see the sky. They had started off above that black plate, but now the train had taken them well beneath it into the deeper and murkier depths of the city. The plate really did look like a kind of black sky, and without the clock inside the train, it would be impossible to guess whether it was day or night above.  
  
"A floating city..." Cloud whispered quietly. "Pretty unsettling scenery."  
  
"Huh?" Barret asked, looking at Cloud in surprise. "Never expect to hear that out of someone like you. You jes' full of surprises." He stood up and walked towards his comrades. "The upper world... a city on a plate... It's cause of that &%# 'pizza' that people are suffering. And the city below is full of polluted air. And on top of that, the reactor keeps drainin' up all the energy!"  
  
Cloud pushed himself away from the window and looked at Barret. "Then why doesn't everyone move onto the plate?" he asked.  
  
Barret shrugged. "Dunno," he admitted. "Probably cause they ain't got no money. Or maybe... cause they love their land, no matter how polluted it gets."  
  
"I know," Cloud agreed, looking down. "No one lives in the slums because they want to. It's like this train, it can't run anywhere except where its rails take it."  
  
With that Cloud turned once more to the window and looked out at the dark plate that blotted out the sky. Barret was right about the pollution – the lower cities of Midgar were very polluted, and there was no fresh air from above. There was only the murkiness that came from the workings of the cities above, and the people below the plate were struggling to find jobs to keep themselves fed and clothes. Cloud couldn't help but pity them, and that was Barret's only justification for doing what he did.  
  
The train continued to rail on along its tracks because, as Cloud had said, it was the only route it could take. It wasn't much longer to Sector 7 where they would be getting off – the train spiralled fairly quickly around the main support structure of the city before spinning off towards the Sector 7 slums.  
  
Eventually the train pulled slowly into the station and its doors opened, letting all its passengers off. The two punks and the suit-dressed man got off first and headed off away from the station towards their homes, which were most likely self-built. The AVALANCHE members climbed off the train last, of course, and continued to try and look natural as they got off, looking around constantly. Barret and Cloud were the last to get off, and Barret looked around at them angrily.  
  
"Yo! Get over here, all'ya!" he ordered sharply.  
  
All at once the three AVALANCHE members jumped to attention and swiftly dashed over towards Barret. Clearly no one liked to get on Barret's bad side, and did exactly as they were told when they were told to. As they all gathered around him, Barret folded his arms.  
  
"This mission was a success, but don't get lazy now," he warned his comrades sternly. "The hard part's still to come. Don't y'all be scared of that explosion... Cause the next one's gonna be bigger than that!"  
  
With that he ran off a little down the train platform, before stopping and turning back to his companions.  
  
"Meet back at the hideout. Move out!"  
  
In an instant the AVALANCHE group split. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge all parted from each other and began to make their way separately down the platform towards the slums, carrying out the same tactic that they did at the reactor. They were indeed a very cautious group, and with good reason. They had just blown up a reactor, and it was now imperative that they seemed natural, and so not to be suspected of anything underhanded. Cloud, unlike the others, simply walked back towards the slums.  
  
The Sector 7 slums were indeed in a very bad condition. The ground was thick with dirt that had been pressed down into a form of ground, and the houses built in the sector had indeed been made by hand – built out of various scraps of metal that had been collected over time. The air was very dry and coarse, and Cloud could taste the pollution in his mouth.  
  
Not that the people of the sector could notice it anymore. The people that were wandering around in the sector hardly noticed the murky smell anymore – they had lived in it for so long they had gotten used to it. Even the kids that played about on the street ran about without noticing the dryness of the air. Most likely these kids had never seen the above plate, and probably they never would.  
  
Up ahead the AVALANCHE members had gathered together outside a building at the far end of the sector. Like everything else in the slums it was a handmade building, with a sign that was surprisingly made out of lighting tubes, and spelled out the words 'Tifa's 7th Heaven' on the front.  
  
At that moment Barret was running up the steps of the building, and he pushed open the saloon-like doors as he ran inside. Moments later there was the sound of gunfire, and a series of people fled from the building in a fright. Barret burst out moments later, ranting and raving angrily about them being in his territory. Some of the punks shouted abuse back at Barret, but when Barret raised his gun-arm once more they immediately fled as fast as they could. Barret then walked down the steps of the bar and stood at the bottom like a guard.  
  
As Cloud slowly approached the bar, the saloon doors opened once again as a young woman walked out and quickly began to usher Biggs, Wedge and Jessie inside. She was fairly young, perhaps a year younger than Cloud was, with long brown hair and dressed in a smart T-shirt and a short black skirt – almost quite delicate looking. She looked up as Cloud approached and gave him a brief smile, before she hurried into the bar after the three AVALANCHE members.  
  
"Heh, heh," Barret sniggered suddenly as Cloud stopped next to him. "You wanna meet your little baby?"  
  
Cloud snapped his head round to look at Barret. "'Little baby'?" he repeated sternly.  
  
Barret grinned slyly. "Hey, don't act like you don't know what I mean. I'm telling you..." He stopped suddenly and looked around. All the punks had scattered for now, and the area around the bar was empty. "Okay, go on ahead," he ordered.  
  
Cloud did as he was told and walked up to the bar, pushing back the saloon doors and going inside.  
  
Inside the other three members of AVALANCHE were already relaxing – sitting at a table with drinks in their hand as they recovered from their strenuous job. Jessie and Biggs were talking amongst themselves as they drank, while Wedge was downing his drink thirstily, whilst at the same time eating food that had been left over by the previous customers.  
  
"Papa!" a little voice shouted suddenly.  
  
Cloud jumped in surprise as a little girl in a pink dress suddenly ran towards him, her arms spread wide in joy. As the girl spotted Cloud she suddenly skidded to a stop, and her face went bright red. Very quickly she turned around and ran off into a nearby corner, hiding her face as she began to sob sorrowfully into her dress. The woman Cloud had seen outside, her name was Tifa – the owner of the bar – quickly ran out from behind the bar and went to comfort the girl.  
  
"Marlene, aren't you going to say anything to Cloud?" she asked the young girl softly.  
  
The woman then stood up and walked confidently over to Cloud. The young girl called Marlene walked with her, hiding behind her and clutching at her skirt as she waved nervously to Cloud, her face still red and wet with tears.  
  
"Welcome home, Cloud," Tifa said pleasantly to Cloud. "Looks like everything went well. Did you fight with Barret?"  
  
"Not this time," Cloud told her plainly.  
  
"Hmm..." Tifa muttered thoughtfully, thinking hard. "You've grown up. When you were little you used to get into fights at the drop of a hat."  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head anxiously. Tifa seemed to think for a few moments more, before she suddenly spotted the two flowers that Cloud had clutched in his hand, which he was still holding after he bought them from the lady in Sector 8.  
  
"Flowers?" Tifa asked in amazement. "How nice. You almost never see them here in the slums. But... A flower for me? Oh, Cloud, you shouldn't have!"  
  
Cloud stared for a moment in bewilderment. He had almost forgotten about the flowers he'd bought. He hadn't intentionally bought them for Tifa, but he had nothing else to do with them. As he looked down he also saw that Marlene had her eye on the flowers as well, intrigued by the pretty colours the petals held. Cloud took one of the flowers and passed it to Tifa, who took it gladly.  
  
"Thank you, Cloud," she said honestly. "It smells wonderful." She turned towards the rest of the bar. "Maybe I should fill the store with flowers."  
  
Beside her, Marlene was looking a little unhappy about Tifa receiving the flower. While Tifa was turned Cloud knelt down beside the young girl and held out the other flower. Marlene stared at it for a moment, before her face lit up until it beamed like a light bulb. She took the flower from Cloud, and quickly ran back to Tifa, hiding nervously once more behind her.  
  
After that Cloud turned and headed to the door to find Barret and talk about his pay so he could get out of there. As he reached the door there came a loud thundering sound from outside. The saloon doors suddenly burst open, giving Cloud just barely enough time to jump back onto a nearby table out of the way as Barret stormed into the bar and looked around.  
  
"Papa!" Marlene cried, running out from behind Tifa and towards Barret. "Welcome home!"  
  
"Yeah!" Barret said. His face softened just a little as he saw the young girl happily run to him. He knelt down and picked her up in his arms, placing her carefully on his shoulder. Then he spotted the flower. "Huh? Where'd you get that flower?"  
  
"Cloud gave it to me."  
  
The softened look on Barret's face disappeared a little. "Oh... Did you thank him?"  
  
"......" Marlene muttered silently, her face going red with embarrassment. She twisted herself round on Barret's shoulder to look at Cloud. "Thank you, Cloud. We'll take care of you."  
  
"Are you all right, Barret?" Tifa asked Barret, changing the conversation.  
  
"Great!" Barret replied with enthusiasm. Then he turned to the others. "Get in here, fools, we're startin' the meeting!"  
  
With that Barret, with Marlene still on his shoulder, walked over to an old pinball machine at the far end of the bar. He pulled down the lever and the pinball machine suddenly began to move down through the floor to a secret room that was built underneath the bar, carrying Barret with it. One by one Jessie, Biggs and Wedge got up and followed him, jumping down through the hole to the hidden room. As they reached the bottom the pinball machine began to rise up again, and Cloud finally slipped off the table he'd been sat on.  
  
"Sit down," Tifa said to Cloud, once again behind the bar. Cloud did as he was told and sat down in one of the stools in front of the bar. Tifa came over and leaned over the tabletop to Cloud. "How about... something to drink?"  
  
"Give me something hard," Cloud said.  
  
"Just a minute. I'll make one for you."  
  
Tifa stood up and went to the other end of the bar, beginning to mix a drink that was one of her specialties. When she mixed the drink she shook it vigorously, before putting it on the table and sliding it down to Cloud, who caught it easily.  
  
"You know, I'm relieved you made it back safely," Tifa said as she walked back to Cloud.  
  
Cloud sipped his drink and looked at Tifa in puzzlement. "What's with you all of a sudden? That wasn't even a tough job."  
  
"I guess not. You were in SOLDIER," Tifa admitted, as Cloud sipped his drink again. She looked up. "Make sure you get your pay from Barret."  
  
Cloud quickly downed his drink and put the glass on the table. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Once I get that money, I'm outta here."  
  
The look on Tifa's face seemed to sadden a little as he said that, but Cloud didn't notice and got up out of his chair.  
  
"Cloud. Are you feeling alright?" Tifa asked suddenly.  
  
Cloud turned to Tifa, cocking his head in his confusion. "...yeah... Why?"  
  
"No reason," Tifa said. "You just look a little tired I guess. You'd better go down below."  
  
Cloud nodded and went to the pinball machine. He pulled down the lever and went down towards the secret hideout of the rebel group AVALANCHE. 


	5. Part 01: Chapter 05

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Five**  
  
It wasn't a very impressive looking room, for it was just the bar's basement that had been converted into a kind of living room for the AVALANCHE members to meet and plan their missions. A large TV screen and computer was built into one of the walls, and this was where Jessie did her research and constructed the bombs that AVALANCHE would use. Even now she was busy typing furiously into a computer. At that moment the news was showing on the TV, giving a report on the reactor explosion that they themselves had caused.  
  
Biggs and Wedge were both sat at a table near the opposite wall, playing cards with each other to pass the time until Barret was ready to give them a debriefing of their mission, as well as to tell them what their next mission was. Barret himself was busy punching a punch bag furiously, with Marlene sat on a cupboard beside him and cheering on. She really admired Barret and looked up to him tremendously, and Barret clearly did everything that he could to impress her. Cloud doubted that Marlene had any real idea about the seriousness of what AVALANCHE was doing, but as far as Barret was concerned, he was protecting her. As Cloud stepped off the pinball machine Barret stopped hitting the bag and turned to Cloud.  
  
"Yo, Cloud! There's somethin' I wanna ask ya," he said. Cloud listened. "Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?"  
  
Cloud crossed his arms and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "None. I'm positive," he answered.  
  
Barret punched the bag hard. "You sound pretty sure."  
  
Cloud nodded again. "If there was anyone from SOLDIER you wouldn't be standing here now," he said plainly.  
  
There was an instant change in Barret's expression. Up until then he could have almost been sociable with Cloud, but that single remark quickly changed all that, and his expression turned back to one of pure anger and hatred for the spiky-haired young man.  
  
"Don't go thinkin' you so bad jes cuz you was in SOLDIER," he warned Cloud firmly.  
  
He suddenly moved forward in an attempt to hit Cloud hard on his fair face, but Biggs quickly intervened, getting up out of his chair and grabbing Barret's arms to hold him back. Barret struggled, and Biggs was barely able to keep him from lunging at Cloud, who merely turned away and crossed his arms again.  
  
"..............." Cloud mumbled silently.  
  
Barret growled furiously and turned round to Biggs. With his one good hand he suddenly lunged and punched Biggs right in his face. Biggs flew up and back, smashing into the wall hard and tumbling to the ground. All at once silence spread through the room, the other members turning to watch. Punching Biggs seemed to slacken some of the anger that Barret was feeling, so he didn't lunge at Cloud now that Biggs was not in his way, but he still looked angry.  
  
"Yeah, you're strong," Barret said, turning to taunting now the fighting anger had subsided. "Probably all them guys in SOLDIER art. But don't forget that your skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE now! Don't get no ideas 'bout hangin' onto Shinra!"  
  
Cloud turned. "Stayin' with Shinra?" he asked in disbelief. "You asked me a question and I answered... that's all." He walked over to Barret fearfully and looked up at him. Barret was a good set of inches taller than Cloud, but to show that the ferocious AVALANCHE leader didn't intimidate him, he stood up on his tiptoes and looked Barret as close as he could in the eyes. "I'm going upstairs. I want to talk about my money."  
  
Barret's fists shook angrily as Cloud turned away from him, and for a moment it looked as though Barret was ready to lunge again, and Biggs was in no position to stop him. However this time Cloud was saved by Tifa, who at that moment came down on the pinball machine upon hearing the arguments going on downstairs, and hurriedly ran to Cloud.  
  
"Wait, Cloud!" she said.  
  
"Tifa! Let him go!" Barret told her. "Looks like he still misses the Shinra."  
  
Cloud turned angrily. "Shut up!" he ordered Barret, this time with his own fists clenched. "I don't care about either Shinra or SOLDIER!" He walked past Tifa, who was looking at him sadly, and then turned back again. "But don't get me wrong! I don't care about AVALANCHE or the Planet for that matter!"  
  
Leaving it at that Cloud turned away and headed over to the pinball machine, lifting up the lever to make it go back up towards Tifa's bar. As he rose up he could hear the sound of furious punching as Barret began to hit the bag again, this time much quicker and angrier than before.  
  
He didn't feel any regrets over what he said as he began to head for the door of the bar, not noticing the pinball machine go back down to the room below. He looked around the empty bar and then quickly began to head for the door, just as the pinball machine came up once more. Tifa was on the lift, and as the lift stopped she stepped off and ran up behind Cloud. The lift went down again as she ran to him.  
  
"Listen, Cloud," she pleaded with him, sounding almost desperate. "I'm asking you. Please join us."  
  
Cloud shook his head and walked forward. "Sorry, Tifa..." he lied.  
  
"The Planet is dying," Tifa protested, her desperation growing in intensity as she begged him to stay. "Slowly but surely it's dying. Someone has to do something.  
  
"So let Barret and his buddies do something about it," Cloud replied harshly. He turned to Tifa sharply, a cold and uncaring look on his face. "It's got nothin' to do with me." He turned away once more and headed for the door.  
  
"So! You're really leaving!?" Tifa said indignantly, stamping her foot on the floor and putting her hands on her hips. "You're just going to walk right out ignoring your childhood friend!?"  
  
Cloud stopped and turned around to face her. "What...?" he asked. "How can you say that!"  
  
Sadly Tifa sagged and looked down at the ground. She shuffled her feet uncomfortably against the floor, looking as though she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. She looped her arms behind her before finally lifting her head and looking directly into Cloud's eyes.  
  
"...You forgot the promise, too."  
  
Cloud tilted his head to the side in bewilderment. "Promise?"  
  
Again Tifa's brown eyes sagged in disappointment. "So you DID forget," she assumed, nodding her head. She walked up close to him and looked him in the eye again. "Remember ...Cloud? It was seven years ago."  
  
Cloud crossed his arms and looked down at the ground, tapping his foot against the ground as he thought hard to remember the time that Tifa was talking about. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to look up at the ceiling of the bar, with its crisscross wooden beams looking back down at him. For a moment he could not remember anything that Tifa was talking about, until finally a picture came to mind.  
  
In his mind's eye he could just about see an old wooden well, which was built in a quaint little town that was his and Tifa's hometown – a place called Nibelheim. Tifa nodded her head and smiled as she realised that Cloud was beginning to remember what she was talking about.  
  
"Look, the well," she whispered. "Do you remember?"  
  
Cloud looked down again, confirming the picture in his mind. Then he nodded. "Yeah... back then," he said. Tifa nodded. "I thought you would never come, and I was getting a little cold."  
  
_Cloud sat by the well patiently, tapping his feet gently against the old wood of the well as he waited for Tifa to arrive. The well was built in the centre of the town and could be seen from every house built there, since the well was the town's focal point, even though the well had been empty and unused for several years. As he sat there tapping his feet a gentle breeze blew, making the hair on his arms stand on end, even though it was a fairly warm night. The sky was clear and dotted with stars that sparkled in the darkness. The town was quiet at this time, and Cloud was the only one out.  
  
He wasn't alone for long. After he waited a few minutes for he finally heard the sound of gentle footsteps against the wood, and as he turned Tifa appeared from around the corner of the well. She was dressed in an elegant turquoise dress and high-heeled shoes, looking very pretty indeed. It certainly looked as though she had made the effort, which could have been the reason for her being so late.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," the young girl apologised.  
  
She walked over to the plank where Cloud was sat, and sat on the edge just beside him, but not facing him. As she sat she waited for Cloud to say why he had called her out here, but he said nothing. So Tifa turned around to face him.  
  
"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"  
  
Cloud sighed heavily, and didn't look at Tifa. "Come this spring... I'm leaving this town for Midgar."  
  
Tifa turned away from Cloud and looked down at her feet dangling over the edge of the well. She lifted her feet up and rocked them gently back and forth, tapping them quietly against the wood. She took a deep breath and didn't look up.  
  
"...All the boys are leaving our town."  
  
"But I'm different from all of them," Cloud insisted. "I'm not just going to find a job." He quickly stood up on the well and turned to Tifa. "I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth!"  
  
"Sephiroth... The Great Sephiroth," Tifa whispered.  
  
Cloud turned away and walked away from Tifa, heading around the corner towards the back of the well. Moments later he appeared at the top of the well after climbing up the last few planks to reach the circular hole that led deep into the ground. Once he was secure he nodded to Tifa, who wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and pulled them close to her.  
  
"Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?" she asked.  
  
Cloud nodded. "I probably won't be able to come back to this town for a while," he said. He suddenly heard the sound of giggling, and glanced down at Tifa. "...huh?" he asked.  
  
Tifa coughed a little as she stopped her giggles, and continued to tap her feet against the wall of the well. She swallowed as she finally stopped laughing, and suddenly grew very serious once more.  
  
"Will you be in the papers if you do well?"  
  
"I'll try," said Cloud.  
  
Tifa smiled, and lifted her head up to look at Cloud above her.  
  
"Hey, why don't we make a promise?" she suggested. She looked down and tapped her feet again in thought. "Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind...... You come save me, all right?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Tifa flicked her hair back out of her way, and her eyes glimmered as she daydreamed. "Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Come on--!" Tifa begged him, looking up at him once more. "Promise me---- !"  
  
Cloud stared at Tifa in bafflement, trying to understand what the girl was getting at. She looked at him with an insistent look on her face – she wasn't about to give up until he agreed. So he finally nodded his head, just as a shooting star crossed the sky above him.  
  
"All right...... I promise."_  
  
"You remember now, don't you... our promise?"  
  
Cloud uncrossed his arms and looked down as he finished remembering, and shook his head.  
  
"I'm not a hero and I'm not famous," he told Tifa plainly. "I can't keep... the promise."  
  
"But you got your childhood dream, didn't you?" Tifa pointed out. "You joined SOLDIER." Cloud looked away from her nervously and scratched the back of his head. Tifa realised she had caught him out on that, and smiled. "So come on! You've got to keep your promise..."  
  
Cloud didn't look up at Tifa. He also knew she had caught him out there, for she was right. He may not have been in the papers, and regardless that he ended up quitting SOLDIER not long after, it didn't change the fact that he had fulfilled part of his dream, and as such should keep part of his promise to Tifa. He still looked like he was about to protest, but was interrupted as Barret suddenly appeared from the room below, climbing up the long pipe that the lift used to rise and fall between the two floors. As he reached the top he jumped off and turned to Cloud.  
  
"Wait a sec big-time SOLDIER!" he said tauntingly. He delved into his pocket and dug deep, before pulling out a bag filled with money. "A promise is a promise! Here!!"  
  
He threw the bag away from him, and it clattered on the ground at Cloud's feet. Cloud made a fleeting glance at Tifa, whose face was still beseeching at him to reconsider his decision. Breaking her gaze Cloud knelt on the floor and picked up the bag, swiftly putting it in his pocket for safety. He then stood up and looked at Barret.  
  
"This is my pay? Don't make me laugh."  
  
Tifa's face instantly lit up in delight. "What? Then you'll...!!"  
  
Cloud put one hand on his hip casually as he flicked his hair. "You got the next mission lined up?" he asked Barret. "I'll do it for 3000."  
  
"What......!?" Barret raged furiously, looking as though he was ready to explode. He'd hoped to get rid of Cloud quickly.  
  
"It's okay, it's okay," Tifa said. She took Barret's arm and whispered gently, "We're really hurting for help, right?"  
  
"Uh...ugh..." Barret groaned. He turned to Tifa sharply, his gun-arm shaking fiercely. "That money's for Marlene's schoolin'......" He then turned and glared at Cloud. "2000!" he snapped, before turning away and folding his arms stubbornly, refusing to discuss the matter any more than that.  
  
Tifa sighed with immense relief and smiled at Cloud gently.  
  
"Thanks, Cloud." 


	6. Part 01: Chapter 06

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Six**  
  
It was the gentle buzzing of the TV screen down in AVALANCHE's secret hideout that woke Cloud the next morning. As Cloud opened his eyes and slowly sat up, his back ached from the uncomfortable sleep he had had after sleeping on the floor. Barret may have agreed to let him take part in the next mission, but that didn't mean that Cloud was going to get first class treatment.  
  
It looked as though the other AVALANCHE members were already away, for the room was empty and stripped of anything that would incriminate them if the room were discovered. All of Jessie's technological bits and bobs had been hidden away, and the room looked as though it were simply a storage room converted into a living room. The first thing Cloud did as he got up was to head over to the pinball machine lift and head up to the main part of the bar.  
  
Tifa and Barret were waiting for him there. Tifa was busy doing some cleaning in the bar while Barret tapped his foot impatiently, cursing silently to himself that he had let Cloud stay in the same building as him. Marlene was also hard at work, doing some more cleaning behind the bar itself. As Cloud stepped off the lift Tifa stopped working and smiled – a smile filled with the joy and life of a new day.  
  
"Good morning! Cloud!" she greeted, sounding surprisingly cheerful. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
Cloud pulled a face and made a sideward glance at Barret. "Barret's snoring kept me up..." he complained.  
  
Tifa immediately put a finger to her mouth to silence him, and whispered to him sharply. "Keep it down, they'll hear you. Barret's always edgy before an operation." She then lightened her expression and smiled once more. "I'm going this time."  
  
Cloud tilted his head and looked at Tifa, awaiting an explanation. Tifa had never been on an AVALANCHE mission, even though she was a member of AVALANCHE herself. However the girl didn't give an explanation and instead turned to Barret, who by now was becoming even more impatient than he was before.  
  
"Our target's the Sector 5 Reactor," Barret explained to them both as they looked at him awaiting the mission details. "Head for the station first. I'll fill you in on the train." He suddenly stopped and looked at Cloud. "Yo! Cloud! Before the next mission, I got somethin' I wanna ask you! I, uh...... I don't really know how to use Materia! I'll give you that Materia you found. Just teach me how to use it."  
  
Cloud sighed heavily and folded his arms. "You wouldn't understand," he answered simply.  
  
Barret's eyes immediately flared in anger. "So this is what makes all them guys in SOLDIER so great, huh!?" he demanded. "Okay. I'll ask Jessie again later. But you're in charge of the Materia!"  
  
He pulled the small green ball of Materia they had found at the Sector 1 Reactor and threw it to Cloud, who caught it easily and looked into its shimmering green surface. He couldn't tell for sure, but from the shimmer inside of the ball it looked like a form of curative Materia. He looked at it for a second longer before passing it to Tifa, whom he felt would make better use of it. Tifa took the ball and placed it into a Materia slot on the armlets of her fighting gloves. As the ball became locked in the slot it glowed a little, its power spreading through Tifa's gloves. When she was done, Tifa turned to Marlene.  
  
"Marlene, you watch the store while we're gone!" she told the young girl.  
  
Marlene looked up from the stool she was stood on to clean the counter. "Alright!!" she said as her father, Tifa and Cloud headed out of the bar. "Good luck."  
  
The slums looked exactly the same as they did at midnight, and it would have been impossible to tell that it was morning without any clocks to tell the time. The usual crowd were out and about, hanging around near the exit of the slums to watch as Barret and his team headed out towards the train station. Some of the younger kids giggled as Cloud and Tifa walked past, for they had been spying on their conversation during the night.  
  
Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were waiting for the three on the station platform to keep the train from leaving. As they saw their leader approach they jumped up and hurried into the train, followed closely by Barret, Tifa and Cloud.  
  
As the last of the passengers piled onto the train, the station guard looked around to make sure that there were no last minute passengers. When he was confident that the coast was clear, he raised his arm and blew his whistle hard.  
  
Inside the train Jessie, Biggs and Wedge were all piled into a single train car, sitting comfortably amongst the rest of the passengers in the car. Not surprisingly it was the same group of people who had been on the train home during the night – the homeless guy, the man reading the newspaper, and the man in the red suit (who was still holding onto the rails and looking sick).  
  
"Yo!" came Barret's angry voice.  
  
All at once the three members of AVALANCHE jumped up out of their seats and turned sharply to Barret as he walked into the car, with Tifa and Cloud behind him. Barret's face was fuming as he saw his three comrades grouped together in a single car, which looked much more suspicious.  
  
"Looks like this ain't no private car!!" Barret observed. "So split up!!"  
  
Jessie, Biggs and Wedge did as they were told and immediately split up, heading through the doors to the adjoining cars where they would split up and not be spotted together as a group. As they left the man in the suit let go of the rails and sighed heavily.  
  
"...hoodlums again," he mumbled to himself. "God, don't I just have all the luck..."  
  
As he walked away from the rails and sat himself firmly down in one of the train seats, Barret ran up past him towards the door and looked out, trying to see who had just spoken.  
  
"You say sumthin'?" he growled angrily, looking around at the next car. He got no reply, so he raised his voice a little. "I said, 'you say sumthin'!?" Again there was no answer. Realising this Barret turned and walked back to the seats. He stopped directly beside the suited man and grabbed hold of the rail, looking down at him. "Yo, look at that!! It got empty alluva sudden. What's goin' on?"  
  
Slowly the suited man looked up at Barret, and sweat began to pour down his face. "DAMN!!" he cursed loudly, realising he had been caught. His voice began to stammer nervously. "I...it's empty because of... g, guys like you..."  
  
It was the wrong thing to say. Barret snarled angrily and hit the man hard on the head with his fist. The man shrunk back in his seat in fear, but did not move out of the way.  
  
"Y, Y, YIPES!!" he said. "You... you've seen the news, right? AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings. Only devoted employees like me would go to Midgar on a day like today."  
  
That was enough for Barret. Upon hearing those words he immediately stepped back and raised his gun, aiming at the man and preparing to fire if provoked.  
  
"You workin' for Shinra?" he demanded.  
  
The Shinra Manager's body quivered in absolute terror. He quickly ducked his head down and curled himself into a ball, his arms above his head to protect himself. Loud sobs began to echo from his curled up form, filled with fear and anxiety.  
  
"I won't give in to violence..." he sobbed pitifully. "And I'm not giving you my seat either!"  
  
Barret raised his fist once more as he prepared to hit the manager again, but Tifa ran up to him quickly and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Barret!" she shouted at him.  
  
Barret looked at Tifa, before lowering his arm and turning to the Shinra Manager.  
  
"&$#%!! You lucky $#$!" he cursed, and stormed off to the other end of the car where Cloud was standing. Tifa sighed heavily before following him and leaving the weeping manager.  
  
"So, what are we gonna do now?" Cloud asked now that the drama was over with.  
  
"Shit!" Barret said in frustration, waving his arms around. "The hell you so calm about? You bustin' up my rhythm..."  
  
At that moment a loud whistle could be heard, and the car suddenly shook from side to side.  
  
"Seems like they just finished connecting the cars," Tifa observed. "We're finally leaving."  
  
As she spoke the train shook again as it choked into life and began to move slowly across the brown and rusty rails, beginning its long and tiresome journey around the city of Midgar. The train moved slowly at first before it began to pick up some speed, until it was moving fairly rapidly away from Sector 7 and into the rest of Midgar.  
  
"So what's our next target?" Cloud asked once more, getting back to the subject of the mission.  
  
"Hah! Listen to Mr. Serious-about-his-work!" Barret taunted mockingly, and Tifa rolled her eyes. Seeing the unimpressed looks both she and Cloud were giving him, Barret crossed his arms. "Awright... I'll tell ya! Jessie's probably already told you, but there's a security checkpoint at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains."  
  
"Which Shinra is very proud of," Tifa added.  
  
Barret nodded. "We can't use our fake ID's anymore..." He stopped as the speaker above them crackled into life, and the computerised voice spoke blankly to them.  
  
_"Good Morning, and welcome to Midgar Lines. Arrival time at Sector 4 station will be 11:45."_  
  
"That means we've only got three more minutes until the ID Check point," Tifa told Barret, who nodded in agreement. He turned to the two of them and clenched his one good fist.  
  
"Alright," he said confidently. "In three minutes, we're jumpin' off this train. Got it!?"  
  
And with that, Barret walked briskly away from Tifa and Cloud and sat himself down firmly on the couch near to the Shinra Manager, who began to shiver once more as the large AVALANCHE leader sat extremely close to him. Luckily Barret had his mind on other things and simply ignored the Manager, keeping himself focused on the mission ahead.  
  
Tifa, on the other hand, had walked past Barret and had stopped at the other end of the car, right beside the railway map computer that Jessie had shown to Cloud just yesterday. Tifa turned to Cloud and waved excitedly to grab his attention.  
  
"Cloud, come over here!" she called cheerfully. "Let's look at the Railway Map Monitor."  
  
Sighing, Cloud walked slowly over to Tifa and stood a few good inches behind her, looking over the young woman's shoulder at the screen, not looking particularly interested. Tifa noticed this, and as she turned she had a huge smile on her face as she giggled at him.  
  
"Hmm, it looks like you've seen this already..." she observed, once her giggling had subsided. "It's all right. Come a little closer."  
  
She giggled again as Cloud shrugged dismissively. Then he took a single step closer to Tifa, and continued to watch the computer screen as the Railway Map came up. It was almost exactly the same as the one Jessie had shown him, although it was slightly different now they were moving away from Sector 7 and towards Sector 4 – their new destination. Neither of the two said anything as they watched the map roll by. Cloud was still puzzled by Tifa's sudden decision to come along on this particular mission, and she still hadn't explained why she had changed her mind.  
  
He didn't get the chance to ask her however, for at that very moment a red light suddenly flashed within the car they were in, followed by the beeping of the signal that meant the ID Check was in progress. Tifa looked up in surprise.  
  
"That's odd," she said, bewildered. "The ID Check Point was supposed to be further down."  
  
Moments later the beeping of the signal stopped. Just a second later the alarm went off – a loud, whirring siren that pierced the ears of the people in the car and made them jump in surprise. Barret leaped out of his chair and looked up as the speaker crackled once more, and the computerised voice spoke with a harsh and serious tone.  
  
_"Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed... A search of all cars will be executed! Repeat!! Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed... A search of all cars will be executed!"_  
  
"What's happening?" asked Tifa. Barret ran up to her.  
  
"What's goin' on!!" he demanded, just as confused as she was.  
  
The door to the car opened as Jessie ran in, her face pale with fear as she realised that somehow they had been caught out as unidentified passengers on the train.  
  
"We're in trouble," she told them, stating the obvious. "I'll explain later. Hurry! Get to the next car!"  
  
"%#%" Barret cursed. He shook his fist angrily, while Cloud folded his arms in thought. "Someone blew it..."  
  
_"Unidentified passengers located in Car #1. Preparing for Lock Down."_  
  
Barret turned to his colleagues. "Let's go! Keep it up!" he ordered.  
  
Jessie turned and ran out of the door, followed closely by Barret, Tifa and Cloud. Just as they passed through into the next car the door slid shut automatically, and a loud click signalled the door being locked and sealed behind them.  
  
_"Car #1 Locked Down. Upgrading to Level 2 Warning."_  
  
Barret looked around the next car. The other inhabitants of the car were all sitting fearfully in their seats, wishing that the alarms would go off and their journey return to normal. Jessie was stood further down the car with Biggs and Wedge, who were also looking around fearfully for any sign of guards that could come looking for them.  
  
"Hurry!" Biggs urged them.  
  
"They're gonna lock the door, sir!" Wedge said. He and Biggs both turned and ran through the door into the third car, just as the speaker spoke up once again over the sound of the raging alarm.  
  
_"Unidentified passengers located in Car #2. Preparing for Lock Down."_  
  
"Just run!" Jessie advised Barret and the others, before she followed the lead of Biggs and Wedge and ran down towards the next car. Barret, Cloud and Tifa were not close behind, for they did not want to get locked in the car and be caught by the Shinra.  
  
Again they only made it out of the car just in time. Cloud was only halfway through the door before it began to close on him, and he had to move quickly before getting trapped in the door.  
  
_"Car #2 Locked Down. Upgrading to Warning Level 3."_  
  
As the door slammed shut and locked itself, the alarm fell silent, and the lights in the car returned to normal. It looked as though they had outrun the train security, and Barret seemed extremely pleased about it.  
  
"Awright! We clear?" he asked Jessie.  
  
Unfortunately, Jessie shook her head. "Not yet," she confirmed. "They're starting another check. If we're caught, we're done for. But, don't worry. If we move up the train, car by car, we should get past it!"  
  
She then turned and ran down towards the end of the car, to where a man had stopped in front of the door leading into the fourth car. Furiously Jessie lashed out, punching the man extremely hard in his stomach. The man crumpled and fell instantly at the force of her punch and quickly crawled out of the way of the door, leaving Jessie to run through to the next car. The moment she disappeared the alarms and lights went off again, and once again everyone in the car jumped back in fright.  
  
_"Unidentified passengers: Moving to Front of Train. Currently tracking location."_  
  
Barret signalled to Tifa and Cloud, and ran on towards the next car. Tifa and Cloud followed close behind, running as fast as they could towards the last car. From now on they didn't stop as they moved on, and just continued to run past the terrified passengers before they could be caught.  
  
_"Car #3 Locked Down. Upgrading to Warning Level 4."_ They continued to run on, regardless of the warnings and into the last car. _"Car #4 Locked Down. Upgrading to maximum security alert!!"_  
  
Now in the very last car of the train, Barret stopped and looked around desperately in search of Jessie and the other AVALANCHE members. He found them fairly quickly, but they had disguised themselves to avoid looking suspicious. Wedge was near the entrance, dressed in a dungarees and T- shirt. Biggs was close by, wearing a smart tuxedo suit and hat, with a fake moustache under his nose to hide the rest of his face. Jessie was standing near the front of the train by the car exit, clad in a full red Shinra guard uniform, which she had probably swiped from a guard who had tried to stop her. Barret ran down towards her, and turned back to the others.  
  
"All right!! We made it! Yo!! This way!!" he called out to Cloud and Tifa.  
  
As Cloud and Tifa darted down towards him, Jessie turned to the large door that led out of the car and opened it with a lever. As the door opened a gust of cold air blew into the train, and the sound of the train travelling on the rail tracks became louder. Now with both the alarm and the train sounds to deal with, Barret had to shout really loud in order to be heard.  
  
"Let's go!!" he yelled. "We're gonna dive outta here!!"  
  
Tifa glanced out of the door, before she turned to Cloud with an almost excited smile on her face.  
  
"...Scary... huh."  
  
"Too late to be saying that now," Cloud told her. He tilted his head to the side. "Why'd you come along anyway?"  
  
Tifa turned away from Cloud, and gave him a sideways glance. "Because..." was her only answer.  
  
"Hey you two!" Barret roared angrily at the two, who looked at him blankly. "There ain't no time for that!"  
  
Hearing his words Tifa ran to the door of the car and looked out. The wind was blowing her dark hair all around her face, and all she could see was a blur as the rails passed her by – they were moving so fast. Finally she nodded her head.  
  
"Yeah!! I've made up my mind!" she said, sounding as confident as she could be. "Watch closely. I'm gonna jump!!"  
  
Cloud and Barret watched as Tifa took a step back and then jumped forward out of the door of the train. She disappeared the second she jumped out, lost in the blurry mess that was outside of the car. Cloud then ran to the door, and turned to Barret.  
  
"You don't care if I go first?" he asked.  
  
Barret glared at him. "A leader always stays till the end. Don't worry 'bout me, just go!" Cloud nodded and turned to the door, preparing to jump. "Yo!" Barret shouted suddenly, and Cloud glanced back. Barret narrowed his eyes. "Don't go gettin' your spiky-ass hurt! It's only the beginnin' of the mission!"  
  
Cloud shrugged and turned back to the door. Like Tifa he took a step back and then dived forward out of the door of the car into the rails beyond. Once he was gone Barret stood up and turned to the car entrance, to where Biggs, Wedge and Jessie had all gathered to see him off.  
  
"Later!" he said to them. "You take care of the rest!"  
  
Then he turned and jumped out of the car as well, leaving Biggs, Wedge and Jessie alone in the train. 


	7. Part 01: Chapter 07

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Seven**  
  
After the valiant attempt to avoid being caught by jumping out of a fast- moving train, Cloud, Tifa and Barret eventually found each other in the long, winding tunnels that were part of the railroad. The train had sped off at top speed towards the rest of Midgar, carrying Jessie, Biggs and Wedge with it. Thankfully none of them had been hurt from their fall, and only a few scrapes against the metal showed that they had jumped at all.  
  
"Good," said Barret, after checking that his gun-arm was still intact and turning to Tifa and Cloud. "So far everything's going as planned. Better not let your guard down till we get to the Sector 5 reactor. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie got everything ready for us. So MOVE it. Well, the reactor should be just down this tunnel!!"  
  
Barret led the way down the tunnel in the same direction the train had been moving. Cloud and Tifa both shared a glance with one another before following him in silence.  
  
The railroad that wound its way throughout the whole of Midgar was very lonely and quiet without the sound of the train. The lights were barely working, and there were lose cables everywhere – some of them still crackling with electric sparks. There was dust everywhere, and even some of the tracks themselves were beginning to turn brown with rust. Everything was in a generally poor condition, just like the rest of Midgar. Clearly the top bosses of Shinra didn't even care for the safety of its workers and inhabitants working for them, let alone the welfare of those reduced to living in the slums.  
  
Cloud wasn't surprised at the state of the rail tracks. He had worked for Shinra, if only in SOLDIER, but he also knew how careless they could be. He knew Shinra did not concern itself with others, and were only concerned with lining their own pockets. That's what Midgar was – a money-sucking machine. With the reactors sucking up the Mako energy from the planet and converting it into electricity, the top people in Shinra most certainly should have heavy pockets.  
  
And Shinra was spreading. They weren't just present on one continent – but every continent on the planet. Wherever there was an abundant supply of Mako there would be a Shinra Mako Reactor, sucking it all up. And, over time, those once abundant places would become dead and dark like the land that surrounded Midgar and the people that lived in it.  
  
They didn't have to walk far before they were forced to come to a stop. After about five or six minutes of walking the three reached the border into the next sector, but had to stop as they saw that their path was blocked. A series of green beams of light were flowing across the way and cutting them off from the next sector. Biggs had been correct when he said that Shinra would have increased their security after the events of yesterday. Now Shinra were making sure that no one passed through close to the reactors.  
  
"These light beams are the Shinra's security sensors," Cloud explained as Tifa and Barret turned to him for an explanation. "We can't go any further."  
  
Barret cursed loudly. He had expected a form of resistance from Shinra, but he didn't know what to do when he came across such a blockage. They could not afford to be caught – if they were caught, they would be executed, most likely without a trial. The AVALANCHE leader folded his arms and looked away, trying to think of a way out of their situation. Tifa looked at the sensors. The moment those sensors were touched an alarm would sound, and they would be done for. They were just moments from the reactor, but now they were blocked off.  
  
Cloud began to look around the rest of the tunnel they were in, sure that there would be some way around the Shinra sensors. There wasn't much to look at – just a few pipes that carried electricity for the railroad, and other various things that could be used for anything. However, as he looked down to the ground, he spotted a duct. Curious, he walked over and knelt down beside it. Tifa and Barret looked over enquiringly as the ex-SOLDIER removed the large metal panel that covered the duct, and looked down into the vent beyond.  
  
"That's one damn tiny hole," Barret observed, walking over to Cloud. "You tellin' me to squeeze into that to get under the plate? No way! Yo, Cloud, what're we gonna do?"  
  
Tifa walked over and looked over Cloud's shoulder. The hole was indeed very tiny, and probably only just big enough for Barret to squeeze in. Beyond the whole was a larger vent, big enough for the three of them, and filled with cool, but stale, air.  
  
"...There seems to be nothing that'll get us stuck in this vent," she said.  
  
Cloud nodded in agreement. "Yeah. If we go down this duct, we won't be able to come back up here," he added gravely. He glanced over at Barret, awaiting his decision.  
  
"Don't be wastin' time!" was Barret's angry reply. "Never know when the Shinra'll find us. Cloud, you jes' gotta go."  
  
Cloud nodded. "Let's go down," he said.  
  
Beside him, Tifa nodded. Barret also nodded, but he still didn't look very comfortable with the decision.  
  
"But, damn man," he groaned, looking at the tunnel. "That thing gives me the chills."  
  
Cloud ignored Barret's complaint and laid the lid of the duct on the ground out of the way. He then took the lead in climbing carefully into the duct, legs first, and slipped through towards the next vent. As he slipped through he hung from the duct entrance for a second, before he let go and let himself drop onto the ground.  
  
The air vent was much larger than he expected. There was plenty of room to move around, and although the air was stale after years of neglect it was pretty cool and airy. There was also rust forming in here, which was climbing up from the bottom of each of the interconnected plates that made up the wall. It seemed pretty quiet, with only the sound of the air echoing slightly throughout the room. Cloud turned and signalled up to Tifa and Barret.  
  
Tifa was the next to come down. Barret held onto her arm as gently as he could as the girl swung her legs down over the side of the duct and began to slide down, where Cloud caught her by her waist and lowered her gently to the ground. Barret came last once more, and as he landed on the metal floor his with a thud the sound reverberated throughout the vent and into the ducts beyond. He shrugged at Tifa and Cloud, who were glancing at him almost pitifully, before they turned and looked around for their next exit.  
  
Their exit was at the far end of the tunnel, and was simply a ladder leading deeper down into the bowls of the Midgar Underground. The air coming from below the ladder was thick with the stench of oil and old metal, and didn't seem very inviting. However, this was the only route the group could take, and so they had no choice but to climb down the ladder. Again Cloud took the lead and led them down. One by one they climbed down the ladder, trying hard not to choke on the old smells that were being blown up from below.  
  
As Cloud reached the bottom of the ladder he jumped down, and his boots clattered on a large metal grating and echoed around him. While he waited for Tifa and Barret to catch up to him he looked around at the new area they had entered.  
  
They were by now deep in the depths of Midgar, and in the most poorly kept area. Rust was everywhere, and the smell was almost overpowering. Loud creaks could be heard everywhere, and with every step Cloud took away from the ladder those creaks became louder.  
  
As Cloud walked away from the ladder, a peculiar sound suddenly made him stop and listen in silence. At first he couldn't hear anything, but after a moment the sound came again. It sounded like a growl, faint at first but growing louder.  
  
Cautiously Cloud reached up behind him and took hold of his sword, ready to pull it out should anything appear. The depths of Midgar were notorious for being the homes of many kinds of monsters that had somehow made their way in, and bred continuously and without prohibition. The Shinra executives didn't even care about the monsters plaguing their own sewers.  
  
The growling sound came again and Cloud snapped around to look behind him, making sure that whatever the sound was it was not going to attack him from behind. Yet he could see nothing, and Tifa and Barret had not reached the bottom of the ladder yet.  
  
Just then a ferocious snarl came from behind Cloud, this time definitely behind him. Cloud very rapidly turned back round and drew his sword, lifting it up out of its holster and over his head, swinging it down hard in front of him. There came a painful snarl of anguish and pain, before it just as rapidly fell silent.  
  
Cloud opened his eyes and looked down at the beast he had just killed. The beast was lying at his feet, with his blade still piercing its neck where he had hit it. It looked a lot like a panther, with the same thick black skin and sleek black fur, with the only difference being its long forked tail, split near the end into two long, whip-like tails. Now these tails were limp along with the rest of the cat, and completely lifeless. Cloud pulled his sword out, and looked blankly down at the creature.  
  
"Wow..." breathed a voice behind him.  
  
Cloud snapped back round, and saw Tifa and Barret standing at the bottom of the ladder, staring at Cloud and the monster he had slaughtered. They both seemed a little awestruck.  
  
"So that's what makes them people in SOLDIER so good," Barret continued in awe. "You guys are ruthless."  
  
Cloud glared back at Barret, but didn't show any hostility. "But we're also quick," he added plainly. He placed his sword back behind his back. A loud whistle suddenly caught their attention, and the group turned to look across the platform, to where Wedge was waving to them.  
  
"Cloud, this way!" Wedge called over to them, standing by another ladder. "The reactor's up this ladder."  
  
Leaving the dead monster behind them, Cloud and the two members of AVALANCHE quickly ran over to Wedge. Wedge had now discarded his disguise and was dressed normally. As the three members approached him he quickly ushered them up the ladder towards the next level.  
  
Jessie was on this next level, standing in a corner beside another air vent. She had her back turned to them as they climbed up, but as they approached she heard their footsteps and turned sharply. Her face was sad and full of regret, as though she had been really concerned over something, and was guilty about it.  
  
"I'm sorry," the young AVALANCHE member apologised to them sincerely. "The ID scan problem on the train was all my fault." She looked at Cloud sadly. "I made your ID card special... So that's why it happened... I put my heart into making it. But I failed. Next time, I'll give you something more decent. I'll be back at the hideout in my research room workin' on it."  
  
Before anyone could say anything to comfort the crestfallen girl, she knelt down and picked up the bomb, passing it to Tifa for safekeeping. She then pointed over towards yet another ladder at the far end of the vent where she was standing. Clearly that was where they were meant to go next. Tifa gave Jessie a quick hug before the group ran over to the ladder and began to climb down into the last checkpoint, where Biggs was also waiting for them, by another ladder.  
  
"We're gonna pull out now," he told them as they approached him. He seemed nervous. "We'll meet up at the hideout. Cloud, we're countin' on you to blow the reactor!"  
  
With that, Biggs turned and ran off towards the ladder leading to Jessie's section, where he quickly climbed up and disappeared. Now it was only Tifa, Barret and Cloud left to go on to the reactor and set the bomb that would destroy it. The three glanced at each other, nodded, and climbed up the final ladder towards the reactor chamber.  
  
As they emerged from the ladder they found themselves in the reactor chamber, which was exactly identical to that of the No. 1 reactor. Surprisingly the reactor area seemed rather quiet and there were few guards running around.  
  
"They could still be around," Barret pointed out to them, voicing their thoughts.  
  
He walked ahead of them to the end of the platform on which they were standing, and looked down. They were a really long way up from the ground, and there were no stairs that they could use to get down. Their only route was down a long series of pipes that wound their way fairly steadily to the ground, stopping almost directly in front of the door leading inside the reactor.  
  
Barret sat down first in the middle of the pipe, and then pushed himself off. He began to slide down the pipe, slowly at first, but gaining his speed as he slid further down towards the ground. Pretty soon he was moving very fast down the centre of the pipe, until he finally reached the bottom. He staggered as his feet touched the bottom and he quickly stood up, but was just about able to regain his balance without falling over. Tifa was not far behind him, followed by Cloud. Soon they were all at the bottom of the pipe, and ready to enter the reactor chamber itself. They walked through the door and went inside.  
  
The layout of the inside was also exactly the same as that of the No. 1 reactor. There was also ladders leading down and the same grated plates overlooking the rest of the reactor. And the reactor was right where they expected it to be, half embedded in the wall and standing in silence, completely unguarded.  
  
Still the three were cautious, for they did not know where the Shinra guards would be hiding and waiting to jump out at them. So they walked quietly and carefully towards the reactor.  
  
As they approached, Cloud began to feel very strange. It was a similar experience to when he first approached the No. 1 reactor (which he had not told Tifa about), when that peculiar voice had spoken to him from inside his mind. A wave of nausea overcame him and he suddenly tumbled forward onto the ground.  
  
When he reopened his eyes, he could not see Tifa or Barret. He was lying on the ground of a different metal path overlooking a vast pool of Mako, and various pipes thrusting down into it. Cloud gasped a little, and felt his heart pounding in his head. He then looked up ahead of him, and gasped again at what he saw.  
  
It was Tifa, but not the Tifa he knew now. She looked much younger, dressed in a smart red and beige dress and a wide red hat. She was kneeling beside a man, who was lying dead on the ground in front of her, killed by a sword. Tears had filled Tifa's eyes as she looked at the man in disbelief.  
  
"Papa..." she whispered, her voice choking. "Sephiroth!? Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he!? Sephiroth... SOLDIER... Mako Reactors... Shinra... Everything!" She sat up and shouted at the sky. "I hate them all!"  
  
Once she had calmed her rage, she looked down at the ground again. Her gaze fell on a long and thin silver sword that was lying on the ground beside her dead father. Slowly she reached out and took hold of the handle. Her expression changed to a fearless determinism, and she got up and ran through the door.  
  
Cloud could only watch as Tifa ran through the door. His head buzzed again and he closed his eyes once more. When he reopened them he was back where he had been, on the ground in front of the No. 5 reactor, with a very angry Barret standing behind him.  
  
"Damn man, get a hold of yourself!" he was raging.  
  
Cloud blinked, confused. He looked up as Tifa, the Tifa he knew, walked over towards him and looked down at him. Her face was filled with concern, and Cloud was relieved it was not the angry determinism that had been in her face when she picked up the sword in vengeful fury.  
  
"You all right?" she asked him.  
  
Cloud stared.  
  
"...Tifa."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
Cloud looked down again, and shook his head. "No... forget... Come on, let's hurry!"  
  
Tifa nodded and headed towards the reactor. Cloud slowly climbed to his feet, the nausea now gone, and turned to Barret. The AVALANCHE leader was standing on the entrance to the bridge, his arms folded and his face set.  
  
"I know," Cloud sighed. "You're my watch, right?"  
  
Barret nodded. "Damn straight," he said firmly. "Tifa's old friend... That ain't good enough."  
  
Cloud shrugged dismissively, not caring. Already he was forgetting his strange experience and headed over to Tifa, who was waiting by the reactor. As Cloud walked up to her she passed him the bomb Jessie had given her. Cloud took it and knelt down beside the reactor to put it into place. He set it in exactly the same way as the previous bomb, and set it for the same time.  
  
Once the bomb was in place, the group of three all turned and ran away from the reactor as fast as they could – heading out the way they came and following their planned route of the reactor chamber and back up towards the surface of Midgar. Without tripping the alarm they headed up in the lift towards the very first level. Without any guards stopping them they had more time to escape, which meant it wouldn't be a close call when the bomb finally exploded.  
  
As they reached the top level they turned right across the path and into the chambers beyond – the point that they reached just yesterday when the No. 1 reactor blew up around them. They ran into a room that contained two doors – one was open and the other was locked. Quickly they ran into the open room, which contained a series of glowing white panels.  
  
"Jessie said we all have to bush the button at once," Tifa said, remembering Jessie's words.  
  
The two men nodded, and together they each stood by a panel. Each panel contained two of the glowing switches, and there were just enough of them to manage it. They counted together, and then each pressed down on the panels. A clicking sound could be heard, followed by the grating of the door in the next room as it unlocked and slid open.  
  
Without waiting the group ran out and through the next door, heading for the exit before the bomb they had set could explode in their faces. After running out of that chamber they found themselves on another T-Junction corridor, just like the one before. Barret ran down to the end and looked down at either end of the corridor.  
  
"This way!" he ordered.  
  
The other two followed him as he began to run down the left corridor towards the exit. As he ran the door to the corridor opened and a number of Shinra soldiers walked in, their guns held up and ready to fire. Barret immediately stopped and backed off away from them, until he stopped beside Cloud and Tifa.  
  
"Shinra soldiers!" he shouted, glaring at them. "SHIT! What the hell's goin' on?"  
  
Cloud narrowed his eyes.  
  
"...a trap..." 


	8. Part 01: Chapter 08

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Eight**  
  
The group of three stood frozen to the spot, while the Shinra guards blocked their one and only exit out of the reactor. They didn't dare move, for the rifles were pointing right at them, ready to fire upon them if they dared to resist. There was a deadly silence in the air, and even the sound of footsteps could be heard in the silence.  
  
In fact they could hear the sound of footsteps, steadily approaching them from the way they had come out of the reactor. Cloud, Barret and Tifa turned one by one to the reactor's entrance, and watched as a figure emerged from the shadows. Barret's jaw hung open as he saw who the figure was.  
  
"Presi... President Shinra?"  
  
The Shinra President walked slowly out of the doorway and stopped on the path opposite the captured AVALANCHE members. The way he walked and the way he dressed showed his authority – confident, smart and calculative. When he spoke he spoke to them like they were dirt, and his voice sounded cold and heartless.  
  
"Hmm... So you must all be that... ...what was it?"  
  
"AVALANCHE!" Barret roared, shaking his fists. "And don't ya forget it! And you're President Shinra, huh?"  
  
Cloud stepped forward onto the path and faced the President. "Long time no see, President."  
  
"...Long time no see?" President Shinra asked, sounding confused. He looked at Cloud closely, when he realised who he was. "Oh... you. You're the one who quit SOLDIER and joined AVALANCHE. I knew you'd been exposed to Mako, from the look in your eyes... Tell me, traitor... What was your name?"  
  
"Cloud."  
  
President Shinra nodded. "Forgive me for asking," he asked of Cloud. "But I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth... He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant..."  
  
Cloud's body jerked at the mention of the name. He stepped back almost fearfully, and his face went as pale as a ghost.  
  
"Sephiroth......?"  
  
While Cloud was standing awestruck in the middle of the path, Barret ran forward and brushed rudely past Cloud. He ran halfway up and shook his fists at the Shinra President, his arrogance returning.  
  
"Don't give a damn 'bout none of that!" he raged, trying to intimidate the president. "This place's goin' up with a big BANG soon! Serves y'all right!"  
  
"And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you..." President Shinra replied calmly, not at all intimidated by Barret's angry tone.  
  
Of course, Barret wasn't too pleased with the statement.  
  
"VERMIN!?" he shouted furiously, looking ready to explode with his fury. "That's all you can say... VERMIN!" He took another step forward and pointed his gun-arm at the president. "Y'all Shinra're the VERMIN, killing the planet! And that makes you King VERMIN! So shu'up jackass!"  
  
President Shinra arrogantly rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "...You are beginning to bore me," he said, his voice solemn. He then looked up at the group once more. "I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me... I have a dinner I must attend."  
  
Barret could not believe his ears. "Dinner!? Don't give me that! I ain't even started wit' you yet!"  
  
"But," the President added quickly. "I've made arrangements for a playmate for you all."  
  
The President then clicked his fingers, and the sound of the click echoed throughout the corridor. The echo then faded, and was replaced by a faint buzzing sound that was growing in intensity, and was heading towards them. Tifa looked up and glanced around the paths, trying to find the source of the buzzing.  
  
"!? What's that noise?" she asked.  
  
Barret ran back down onto the main path, brushing past Cloud once again, and ran over to Tifa. The door on the other side of the path was open, and the buzzing seemed to have been coming from there. It was still growing louder, and sounded like the whirring of blades. Eventually, something began to emerge from the shadows.  
  
"The hell is this!?" he demanded.  
  
The source of the sound then emerged from the doorway and onto the path. It moved at such a speed that Tifa and Barret had to stand really close to the ends of the path to avoid being knocked off by its bulk. It then stopped in the middle of the path, separating Cloud from his friends.  
  
It was a gigantic robot – another of Shinra's defensive weaponry. Unlike the Roboguard, which had been disadvantaged on the ground, this robot could hover a few feet off the ground. It was armed with a range of weaponry, from cannons to guns in its back and front. Its only disadvantage was that because it was so large and packed full of weaponry, it was hard for it to turn or move very quickly. The whirring sound came from its fast-moving blades that whirred beneath its bulk, keeping it hovering above the ground.  
  
"Meet 'Airbuster'," the President introduced, waving a hand to the creation hovering in front of him. "A techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."  
  
Cloud stared at the robot in awe. "...Techno-soldier?"  
  
The sound of more whirring blades could be heard as a helicopter rose up from the abyss beneath the paths, and hovered beside the President. The door opened, ready for the President to board.  
  
"Now then, if you'll excuse me," the President said politely, giving a little bow to the group. He turned towards the helicopter.  
  
"Wait, President!" Cloud called, running forwards towards the helicopter.  
  
He was too late. The helicopter had already lowered itself and was letting President Shinra on board. Cloud could only stop and watch as the door to the helicopter was slammed shut, and the helicopter began to rise up away from them, flying off towards Shinra Headquarters once more. The Shinra President had fled, and the guard had already scattered, leaving Cloud and his friends alone with Shinra's latest weapon.  
  
"Yo, Cloud!" Barret called to Cloud. "We've gotta do somethin' 'bout him!"  
  
Cloud turned back, just in time to see Airbuster moving forward towards Barret and Tifa. The two AVALANCHE members backed up fearfully as the robot approached. Even though it was hovering above the ground, the path was still vibrating beneath its whirring blades. It moved forward a little more, and the two backed up again.  
  
"Help, Cloud!" Tifa shouted over the whirring of the blades. "THIS is from SOLDIER?"  
  
"No way!" Cloud called back from the other side of the robot. "It's just a machine."  
  
Hearing Cloud's voice, Airbuster slowly began to turn around to face Cloud. It towered over him by a good couple of metres, and its armour was very thick so it would not be easy to penetrate. Cloud reached behind him and drew his large sword, ready to battle. And although he couldn't see them, Barret was preparing his gun and Tifa was flexing her fists. Each of them was preparing for the inevitable battle.  
  
"I don't care what it is!!" Barret said. "I'm gonna bust him up!"  
  
With that Barret raised his gun and fired upon Airbuster. The bullet rippled against its armour, making only dents and no significant damage. Airbuster gently jerked its head to the right to glance at Barret through its flashing red eyes, but it did not turn.  
  
Instead, Airbuster opened up an almost seamless hatch on its back, to reveal a rifle that had been hidden there. Airbuster fired at Barret, and the AVALANCHE leader had to quickly jump back on the path to avoid being shot or knocked off the edge of the path. It was a very long way to the slums below, and no one could afford to take that drop.  
  
While Airbuster's attention was focused on Barret, Cloud took his chance and ran forward, hoping to ram his sword into a vital part of the robot's machinery before it could force anyone off the path. He jumped up and swiped his sword.  
  
It struck Airbuster's side with a terrific flash of light as the metal collided with metal. Air buster turned its head back down to look at Cloud as he pressed his blade against the side of the robot. It then swung one of its large robotic arms and threw Cloud away from him. Cloud was flung back across the path, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground halfway across the path. His sword clattered to the floor and Cloud rolled and rolled across the metal path, before finally coming to a stop.  
  
Just as Cloud finished rolling, a bright flash of orange and red lit up the path, causing Airbuster to jerk violently. A cloud of flames suddenly rose up around it and enveloped it, before the flames dissipated and disappeared. Airbuster's metal frame glowed slightly from the heat of the fire, but eventually began to cool.  
  
Tifa lowered her arms, and the second ball of Materia within her armlet slot ended its fiery glow. She flicked her hair back in satisfaction.  
  
"Tifa! Look out!" came Barret's voice.  
  
Tifa looked up in surprise to see a large heavy object falling towards her. It looked like a cannonball and was falling towards her. Quickly Tifa dodged to the side and out of the way of the ball.  
  
The cannonball slammed down onto the metal path, causing it to shake and quiver violently. It even bounced, for a second or two, before rolling over the end of the path and falling down into the murky cloud of smoke that covered the slums. It was such a long drop that no one could hear the ball land, but they prayed that it didn't land on any of the houses.  
  
Tifa wiped her forehead with her glove, relieved that Barret had warned her in time before the cannonball had hit her. She looked back over towards Barret, who was busy firing upon the robot. Airbuster had turned and was busy advancing on Barret. As Tifa watched Airbuster opened up another hatch on its chest and revealed a double rifle, and fired at Barret once again. Like before Barret was forced to back up on the path to avoid the bullets that hit the floor at his feet, just inches from striking him. It almost looked funny – for he was jumping back from foot to foot. It was just a shame that the situation was so serious.  
  
The young woman raised her arms again, and once more the glowing ball of Materia in her glove slot began to glow. Fiery sparks flickered within it, and a ball of fire began to form between Tifa's hands. Tifa then thrust her hands out in front of her, and the ball of fire fired from her palms and towards Airbuster as it fired upon Barret.  
  
The fireball hit the nose of the rifles, and their nozzles glowed brightly with the intense heat. They glowed brighter and brighter as the flames burned around it, until eventually the nozzles began to droop and sag downward, melting with the heat. Eventually the rifles stopped firing bullets, unable to fire anymore as the nozzles melted so much that the barrels closed up.  
  
Cloud finally climbed to his feet after recovering from his fall, and saw his chance while the robot tried to figure out what to do now that its prime weapon had been disabled. He spun his sword round and quickly placed it back behind his back, freeing his hands for the task at hand.  
  
Like Tifa he held out his hands, and a single ball of green Materia from his own armlet slot began to glow, filled with an electric yellow light. As he opened his eyes a bolt of lightning suddenly fired down from the sky and onto the head of the robot. The electricity quickly spread over its body and flickered between all of the nooks and crannies within its framework. The electricity then stopped flickering, and everyone waited.  
  
All at once the robot stopped moving, standing frozen in the middle of the path. Slowly it jerked its head from side to side, trying to turn its large bulk around on the path so it could continue to attack. However, the lightning that Cloud had cast had somehow short-circuited its turn system, and was motionless.  
  
This was the chance the group needed. All at once they all charged forward, their weapons high and ready, and began to attack Airbuster together.  
  
Barret raised his gun-arm and fire repeatedly, striking all of the robot's weak spots that it couldn't defend by turning away. He particularly aimed at the robot's hover system and engine, hoping to cut its power system before it could hit them. Tifa dodged Barret's bullets and went right up close to the robot; punching and kicking at the weak spots on the framework that Barret had done damage to. Cloud was on the other side, continuously swiping his sword and creating long, deep slashes in the metal.  
  
Eventually they had done the damage they needed, and they all pulled back. Airbuster remained motionless, its head still jerking from side to side. Then, gradually, its body began to shake as the damage began to take its toll. Electric sparks began to crackle from its damaged circuit boards, and the shaking began to get more violent.  
  
All of a sudden the robot exploded, its body unable to take any more damage. Large chunks of metal flew into the air, and the path shook as the explosion shook it apart. Tifa and Barret held onto the sides as the path shook violently beneath their feet, and it was all they could do to stop themselves from falling over the edge.  
  
Cloud on the other hand, was not as lucky as Tifa and Barret. As Airbuster self-destructed and destroyed the bridge, Cloud lost his footing and tumbled over the edge of the broken ledge. Quickly he reached up and grabbed hold of a pipe that was sticking out of the edge of the bridge. His sword fell past him and down into the murkiness below, while Cloud was left dangling on the edge of the bridge, completely helpless.  
  
Tifa ran to the edge of the bridge and leaned down. Cloud was on the other side and was too far down for her to reach, but that didn't stop her from leaning over as far as she could and reaching for Cloud, desperate to save him before he could fall to his death.  
  
"It's gonna blow!" Barret called from behind her. "Let's go, Tifa!"  
  
Tifa shook her head, her dark hair falling around her face. "Barret!" she said pleadingly. "Can't you do something?"  
  
Slowly Barret shook his head.  
  
"Not a damn thing."  
  
Tifa's eyes filled up and she turned back to Cloud. He was still dangling, trying hard not to lose his grip on the pipe. But he was failing fast, and his grip was slowly beginning to slacken.  
  
"Cloud!" Tifa called down to him. "Please don't die! You can't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!"  
  
Cloud didn't look up from the pipe. He was more focused on trying to maintain his grip on the pipe. "I know, Tifa..." was his only reply.  
  
Tifa's eyes filled once more.  
  
"Hey, you gonna be awright?" Barret shouted down over the edge.  
  
"......" Cloud muttered silently. He did want to curse at Barret at that moment, but he managed to control himself. "You worry about yourselves. I'm all right, but take care of Tifa!"  
  
"...Alright," said Barret. "Sorry 'bout all this."  
  
"Stop talkin' like this is the end!" Cloud snapped.  
  
Barret nodded. "Alright, then, later."  
  
At that very moment a loud explosion occurred from deep within the reactor, and the whole area rumbled violently. Then, like an earthquake, the reactor exploded. The door leading into the reactor burst open and flames erupted from within it, beginning to fill the corridor. The force of the explosion shook the broken bridge, and Cloud finally lost his battle to keep his hold and began to fall down away from Tifa, who cried out in dismay as she watched Cloud fall away from her.  
  
Barret reached out and grabbed hold of Tifa roughly, beginning to drag the girl away from the bridge before the flames could reach them. Tifa struggled hard and continued to reach for Cloud, but there was nothing she could do as Barret dragged her forcefully away, leaving Cloud to fall into the murky clouds of the slums below, where he disappeared from view completely. 


	9. Part 01: Chapter 09

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Nine**  
  
_...You all right?  
  
...Can you hear me?_  
  
Cloud didn't move, and remained motionless. He could hear the voice faintly in his head, the same as before, but he didn't recognise it or react to it.  
  
_"...Yeah..."_ was all he said.  
  
_Back then... You could get by with just skinned knees...  
  
"...What do you mean by 'back then'?"_ Cloud asked.  
  
_What about now? Can you get up?  
  
"What do you mean by 'that time'?"_ Cloud insisted on asking. _"What about now?"  
  
...Don't worry about me. You just worry about yourself now.  
  
"...I'll give it a try."_  
  
He tried to move. He could feel it very distantly, as though his spirit was not completely attached to his body.  
  
"Oh! It moved!" came a voice.  
  
_...How about that?_  
  
"Whew. I am glad."  
  
_Take it slow now. Little by little..._  
  
"Hello, hello?  
  
_"I know. Hey... who are you?"_  
  
"Hello, hello!"  
  
The voice did not reply again, and Cloud's mind remained empty. Slowly he jerked his body one more time, and this time all the feeling came back to him. It felt as though his spirit had suddenly reattached to his physical body, making him jump violently and regain all feeling at once. His body ached heavily, and there were sharp pains under his head and back as though he had landed on something hard. There was also a gentle prickly feeling on the back of his neck and under his arms, but he couldn't make out what it was.  
  
It was only as he began to come round that he remembered what had happened. He remembered the reactor exploding, and he had fallen from the bridge and into the depths of the slums below. The last thing that he remembered, was crashing into something hard before everything turned black and he was lost in the darkness, only to come round to the sound of that mysterious voice speaking to him.  
  
Cloud slowly opened his eyes and blinked as a bright light hit them. As he focused more clearly he stared upwards towards a young female face that was looking back down at him. Cloud stared at her for a few moments and blinked before he suddenly sat up, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"You okay?" the woman asked him gently, standing up. Cloud turned his head around to look at her. "This is a church in the Sector 5 slums. It suddenly fell on top of me. It really gave me a scare."  
  
Cloud didn't answer and looked down. He was sitting on a rugged arrangement of broken planks of wood, which he had brought crashing down when he smashed through the church wood during his fall. He was also sitting on a beautiful flowerbed filled with brightly coloured flowers. It was the short lengths of grass and the flowery petals that had been tickling his neck. Seeing the planks Cloud looked up, and there, right above him, was the gaping hole in the church roof caused by his fall.  
  
"...I came crashing down?" he asked, still dazed.  
  
The young woman nodded at him. "The roof and the flower bed must have broken your fall," she told him. "You're lucky."  
  
"Flower bed..." Cloud said, confused. He looked back down at the flowers, which were lying crushed beneath his weight and those of the planks. "Is this yours?" Hurriedly he jumped up off the flowerbed before he could destroy any more of them. He picked up his sword from the ground and turned to the woman sheepishly. "Sorry about that."  
  
"That's all right," the woman said. She smiled at Cloud as she glanced towards the flowerbed. "The flowers here are quite resilient because this is a sacred place." She turned away from Cloud and looked around the rest of the church. "They say you can't grow grass and flowers in Midgar. But for some reason, the flowers have no trouble blooming here. I love it here."  
  
Cloud slowly nodded his head. Midgar and the land that surrounded Midgar was very dark and lifeless because of the Mako reactors sucking up the energy, but the flowerbed in the church was filled with brightly coloured flowers, and the grass was very green. He knew himself that grass and flowers could not be grown anywhere where there was a Mako reactor, but obviously, as the woman had said, they had no trouble blooming in the church.  
  
"...So, we meet again," said the woman suddenly. Cloud looked down in surprise and saw the woman kneeling down beside him, tending to the injured flowers before they could die. She looked up into Cloud's face, and noticed that his expression was blank. She stood up and stared at him in dismay. "...Don't you remember me?"  
  
Cloud crossed his arms and thought for a moment, trying to remember where he had seen this girl before, for she clearly remembered him. At first he could not remember her because he was still slightly dazed from the fall, but as he recovered a little more he could remember her. She was the flower girl in Sector 8, whom he had met after the destruction of the No. 1 reactor, and had sold him the two flowers he had given to Marlene and Tifa. He nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I remember..." he said. "You were selling flowers."  
  
The woman smiled in relief. "Oh, I'm so happy," she said. "Thanks for buying my flowers." She stopped suddenly, as though she had just remembered something. "Say, do you have any materia?"  
  
Cloud tilted his head, confused by her question. "Yes, some," he replied. "Nowadays you can find materia anywhere."  
  
"But mine is special," the woman told him almost boastingly. "It's good for absolutely nothing."  
  
"...good for nothing?" he asked her. He shook his head. "You probably just don't know how to use it."  
  
Now the woman shook her head. "No, I do..." she insisted. "It just doesn't do anything. I feel safe just having it. It was my mother's..." She paused for a moment and looked up at the sky in silent prayer, while Cloud just watched her. When she was done she looked down and turned to Cloud again, the smile back on her face. "Say, I feel like talking. Do you feel up to it? After all, here we are meeting again, right?"  
  
Cloud shrugged. "I don't mind."  
  
"Wait here," the woman told him. "I've got to check my flowers."  
  
With that the woman quickly jogged over to the other side of the flowerbed. She stopped and smiled – something she appeared to do quite often. Then she knelt back down and began to tend to her flowers once more.  
  
While she was doing that, Cloud looked around the rest of the church. It had clearly been abandoned and unused for many years, and the aisle benches were broken and crumbling, and were thick with dirt and dust. The floor was cracked and broken, and the flowerbed itself was growing up out of a large hole in the floor. Slowly Cloud walked around the perimeter of the flowerbed and stopped beside the girl as she tended to her flowers, and he could hear her muttering quietly to herself as she worked.  
  
"Just a little longer," she was saying. She then blinked. "Oh!" She stood up and quickly turned to Cloud, who was standing behind her. "Now that you mention it... We don't know each other's names, do we... I'm Aeris, the flower girl. Nice to meet you."  
  
Cloud nodded. "The name's Cloud," he introduced. "Me...? I do a little bit of everything."  
  
Aeris grinned. "Oh... a jack of all trades."  
  
"Yeah..." said Cloud. "I do whatever's needed." He stopped as he saw that Aeris had suddenly turned away from him. She had her hands over her mouth as she giggled to herself. "What's so funny? What are you laughing at?"  
  
Aeris finally stopped laughing and turned to Cloud, shaking her head. "Sorry... I just." She suddenly stopped and looked over Cloud's shoulder. All at once her expression changed from one of laughter, to one of fear. She looked back at Cloud. "Say, Cloud. Have you ever been a bodyguard? You DO do everything, right?"  
  
Cloud tilted his head again. "...Yeah, that's right."  
  
Aeris sighed heavily. She then reached out and grabbed hold of Cloud's hand, which made him jump violently. "Then, get me out of here," she asked him, almost pleadingly. "Take me home."  
  
Cloud stared and blinked blankly, surprised by Aeris's sudden change. "Okay, I'll do it..." he said. He quickly added, "But it'll cost you."  
  
"Well then, let's see..." Aeris said. She crossed her arms and thought for a moment. Then she smiled as she thought of the perfect idea. "How about if I go out with you once?"  
  
This time Cloud really stared, and even jumped back unexpectedly. That wasn't the kind of pay he had meant. He usually only worked for cash. Then he remembered that this girl was living in the slums, selling flowers to earn her way, and so she could not afford to pay him the kind of money he would usually ask for. So eventually he nodded, and turned around to where Aeris was looking.  
  
There was a man standing in the middle of the aisle's watching them. He had come in silently while Aeris and Cloud were talking, and it was his entry that had made Aeris so nervous so suddenly. He was dressed in a blue suit, although he wore it rather scruffily with his jacket undone and his shirt hanging out over his waist. His hair was long but tied back in a ponytail, with a few long strips of fringe hanging over his face. His expression was rather cold and cruel, and Cloud got the impression that he wasn't a friend of Aeris's. This was the reason why she had become so nervous.  
  
"I don't know who you are," Cloud said to the man. "But...... You don't know me...?"  
  
_...I know you._  
  
"Oh yeah..." said Cloud, just as he realised the man's identity. "I know you. That uniform..."  
  
The door to the church suddenly burst open as three Shinra soldiers, clad in their blue uniforms and rifles, charged in. Aeris jumped and cowered behind Cloud as they ran up to the man in the aisles, seeming to laugh and snigger at the two as they were cornered in the middle of the church.  
  
"Hey sis, this one's a little weird," one of the soldiers called over to Aeris.  
  
Cloud glared. "Shut up! You Shinra spy!"  
  
Another of the soldiers turned to the suited man in front of them. "Reno! Want him taken out?"  
  
The man known as Reno slowly turned his head to the soldiers, his expression unchanged. He did not seem at all interested in Cloud, or intimidated by him.  
  
"I haven't decided yet," was all he said.  
  
Aeris ran forward desperately. "Don't fight here!" she pleaded with them. "You'll run the flowers." She turned and ran back past Cloud, and stopped beside a door leading out at the back of the church hall. "The exit is back there," she called to Cloud.  
  
Cloud glanced back at Reno and the three Shinra soldiers, who were still laughing with amusement. He put one hand on the handle of his blade before he turned and ran after Aeris. She opened the door as he approached, and together they ran through, slamming the door shut as they ran through.  
  
Reno just stood and watched as Cloud and Aeris ran away from him, still seeming unbothered by their escape. He slowly walked forward down the aisle until he reached the flowerbed. He didn't stop as he reached the flowers – instead he walked right over them. The flowers were easily crushed under the weight of his boots, leaving them lying flat and crumpled behind him. He stopped in the middle of the bed, looking down in thought.  
  
"They were... Mako eyes," he mumbled thoughtfully to himself. He looked up and turned to the guards. "Yeah, all right. Back to work, back to work." He turned back and headed towards the door. But he suddenly stopped and thought for a moment, before he turned back to the guards. "Oh! And don't step on the flowers..." He turned and flicked his hair.  
  
The three Shinra soldiers stared.  
  
"Hey, Reno! You just stepped on them!"  
  
"They're all ruined!"  
  
"You're gonna catch holy hell!"

* * *

Beyond the door, Cloud and Aeris stood alone in the back hall of the church, which was in an even worse condition than the front of the church. All the staircases that led up to the balconies were broken apart, and some stairs just hung in mid air while their compatible counterparts lay in a heap on the ground. However, they could not afford to stand around and wait for Reno and the guards to catch up to them.  
  
Cloud watched Aeris as she ran to the end of the floor and jumped over to the broken stairs that led up to the next floor. He wondered why she was so desperate to get away from the guards, or why they appeared to be after her in the first place. Still, she had asked him to be her bodyguard, so he ran to the end and jumped over the ledge towards her, where they continued to run up the stairs. They were forced to come to a stop just a few moments later as they reached a large gap in the floor ahead of them, which hung right over a long drop to the bottom floor below.  
  
"There they are, over there!" came a voice.  
  
Cloud and Aeris looked down in a fright as they saw the door to the hall thrown open, where it broke away from its hinges and tumbled to the floor. Reno and the guards then ran in and looked around in search of Aeris. They finally spotted her on the floor above.  
  
"Cloud... that one!" Aeris shouted to Cloud fearfully.  
  
Cloud nodded. "I know. Looks like they aren't going to let us go."  
  
"What should we do?"  
  
Cloud turned to her. "Well we can't let them catch us, can we?" he asked her. Aeris nodded. "Then, there's only one thing left."  
  
With that Cloud turned to the gap bridged between him and the other side of the ledge. He took a step backward for a run, and then ran forward and jumped over the gap. He landed on the other side quite easily, where he rolled over on the broken wood. When he stopped rolling he climbed to his feet and signalled to Aeris.  
  
"Aeris! This way!"  
  
Aeris stepped up to the edge of the broken ridge and looked down. It was a frightfully long drop to the ground below, and with her long pink dress she wasn't totally sure that she'd make the jump. She swallowed hard and shook her head, not wanting to take the risk of falling into her pursuer's hands.  
  
"All right," said Cloud, understanding. "I'll hold them off."  
  
"Right," said Aeris. "Make sure they don't get through."  
  
"The Ancient is getting away!" shouted Reno, sounding angry for the first time. "Attack! Attack! Attack!"  
  
The three soldiers all raised their guns and aimed for Aeris, as she stood isolated on the beams, in plain view of their guns. The soldiers opened fire, and the bullets hit the underside of the wood around Aeris's feet. The wooden plank shook violently as it was riddled with bullets, and Aeris struggled to keep her balance. She eventually lost the fight and tumbled over the edge.  
  
"Eaygh!"  
  
"Aeris!" Cloud yelled.  
  
Aeris landed on a pipe just beneath the floor, and slid down. She past Reno and the guards on her way, until she reached the pipe's end and fell onto the open basement floor, completely open and vulnerable.  
  
On the ground floor, Reno glanced down at Aeris, as she lay helpless on the floor.  
  
"Think we killed 'em?" he wondered aloud. "They shouldn't have put up a fight, I say!"  
  
He signalled to one of his soldiers, who immediately ran to the edge and jumped down towards the basement where Aeris lay. The girl sat up as the soldier landed in front of her, and looked up fearfully as her attacker approached with his gun at the ready.  
  
"Cloud, help!" she cried.  
  
Cloud was still on the first floor, looking down helplessly as the Shinra soldier approached Aeris.  
  
"Damn!" he cursed.  
  
He looked around desperately for something he could use to help Aeris without getting shot himself. There was nothing he could use on the floor he was on – there was only broken wood lying around, and that wouldn't help Aeris at all. He looked up above him towards the roof beams, and saw that there were barrels placed on various beams.  
  
"What's that...?" he wondered aloud. He then had an idea, and turned down to Aeris. "Aeris! Fight 'em!"  
  
Down on the basement floor, Aeris looked up fearfully at the soldier standing in front of her. Hearing Cloud's words she looked even more terrified, but eventually nodded.  
  
"A, all right."  
  
With that she stood up and faced the soldier. She had no weapons of her own other than her bare fists, and she wasn't strong enough to take him out in one punch. The soldier laughed in delight and amusement, for he knew he was stronger and much better equipped than Aeris was.  
  
Still, Aeris had a plan of sorts. As she looked around she spotted a large piece of broken pipe lying on the ground nearby. The soldier spotted it at the same, and they both lunged at the same time for it.  
  
Aeris reached the pipe quicker and pulled it towards her. The soldier cursed loudly as he fell onto the ground, and began to fumble for his gun to defend himself. He wasn't quick enough however, as Aeris had hold of the pipe and swung it around with all her strength.  
  
There was an almighty cracking sound as the pipe connected with the soldier's helmet. The soldier dropped his gun and crumpled onto the floor, a long crack down the side of his helmet. He wasn't seriously hurt, just knocked unconscious, but he would have an almighty headache when he woke up. Aeris, surprised at the ease of defeating her attacker, kept the pipe in her hands as she ran on towards the stairs leading to the ground floor.  
  
Cloud meanwhile, was busy climbing up the last set of stairs that led up to the attic beams that crossed over the whole of the church hall, in particular heading for the old heavy barrels that were balanced on the beams. The stairs were so old they were rotting, and as he climbed one step broke beneath him, and he nearly fell straight through to the floor below once more. He just managed to stay on the stairs by grabbing onto the other stairs, and began to climb once again.  
  
"Eaygh!" came Aeris's terrified cry. "Cloud, help!"  
  
Cloud looked down from the stairs, and saw Aeris at the bottom of the stairs leading to the ground floor. She had the pipe in her hands, but there was already a soldier standing on the stairs waiting for her, his gun at the ready and ready to fire at her. But there was nothing that Cloud could do just yet.  
  
"Fight 'em!" he called.  
  
Aeris nodded. "A, all right."  
  
While Aeris began her fight with the other guard, Cloud continued to climb the stairs and onto the beams that overlooked the rest of the hall. The beams were just as old as the rest of the church, but they still looked fairly strong and could probably just about support him.  
  
Carefully he stepped onto the thick beams. He had to be careful because the beams were not very wide, and was only just wide enough for him to stand on. But Cloud had good balance, and was able to make his way fairly quickly across towards the barrels.  
  
He stopped very suddenly as the sound of gunfire could be heard, followed by Aeris's scream. Cloud stood frozen on the beams fearfully as he thought the worst. He had no need to worry though, for moments later there came a loud crack, followed by a painful grunt from the Shinra soldier. He looked down just in time to see the soldier fall and roll down the stairs behind Aeris, where he lay unconscious and defeated. Aeris then continued to run up the stairs, making her way gradually towards Cloud.  
  
Now unfrozen, Cloud managed to make his way over towards one of the barrels. They were firm and very heavy, although he didn't know what they were filled with. He figured they could probably be pushed very easily.  
  
"Cloud, help!"  
  
As Cloud looked down, he saw Aeris standing on the stairs directly leading to the first floor directly beneath him. Her only weapon was lying on the floor on the basement floor, knocked from her hands as the final Shinra guard attacked her from behind as she ran up the stairs. Now she was defenceless, and at the mercy of the guard.  
  
"Hold on a minute!" Cloud called down to her.  
  
He turned back to the barrel and began to push it hard. It was indeed very heavy, and for a moment Cloud thought it might not move at all. Then eventually it began to move, and as Cloud pushed it more it lost its balance and began to fall towards the stairs beneath him.  
  
It missed Aeris only by inches. It slammed into the stairs on its side, and began to roll down towards the guard. The Shinra soldier jumped back fearfully as the barrel rolled towards him, but he was not quick enough to flee from it. The barrel hit him and pushed him to the floor, rolling right over him before falling off the edge of the stairs and onto the basement floor below. All he could do was lie dazed as Aeris ran away from him and across the gap in the floor as she headed towards Cloud.  
  
As Aeris climbed the stairs, Cloud held out a hand to her and helped her up. She was pale and shaking from her ordeal, but at least she wasn't hurt.  
  
"Aeris, this way," he told her.  
  
He led her carefully across the beams towards the large hole in the roof that he had created himself when he fell from the upper plate. He let Aeris go first through the hole and out of the church to safety, before he finally followed her. 


	10. Part 01: Chapter 10

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Ten**  
  
After their frantic escape of the Sector 5 church, Cloud and Aeris both sat panting on top of the church roof, trying to catch their breath after what they had just gone through. Aeris was gradually beginning to return to her normal colour now that she was away from the guards that were desperate to catch her, while Cloud was merely exhausted from his long climbs in attempts to save Aeris.  
  
There was no sign of Reno or the soldiers since they escaped via the roof – and thought that maybe they had given up the chase now that they were out of their reach. Still, Cloud knew that people like that never gave up easily, and there was still a chance they could come after them again.  
  
"Ha, ha..." Aeris said, laughing a little in relief of their escape. Cloud looked at her in bewilderment. The young woman brushed her brown hair out her face and took a deep breath of air, even if it was the stale, musty air of the slums. "They're looking for me again."  
  
Cloud stared. "You mean it's not the first time they've been after you?"  
  
Aeris looked down and pulled her knees up close to her chest. She then wrapped her arms around them to hold them close to her, and gently lay her chin down on her kneecaps. She looked very sombre and serious, very different from the cheerful happiness of before.  
  
"...No."  
  
"They're the Turks."  
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
"The Turks are an organisation in Shinra," Cloud explained to her. "They scout for possible candidates for SOLDIER."  
  
"This violently?" Aeris asked in surprise, lifting her head up from her knees. "I thought they were kidnapping someone."  
  
Cloud nodded. "They're also involved in a lot of dirty stuff on the side," he added. "Spying, murder... you know."  
  
Aeris did know. She put her head back on her knees. "They look like it," she muttered gravely. She closed her eyes for a few moments and took another deep breath, still in shock.  
  
"But, why are they after you?" asked Cloud. "There must be a reason, right?"  
  
"No, not really," replied Aeris, opening her eyes. She shrugged. "I think they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER!"  
  
"Maybe you do," said Cloud, looking her over. "You want to join?"  
  
Aeris shrugged again. "I don't know," she admitted. She lifted her head. "But I don't want to get caught by THOSE people!"  
  
"Then, let's go!" Cloud said, climbing to his feet. Aeris climbed to her feet beside him, and together they began to head off across the rooftops away from the church, before Reno and his soldiers could get their acts together and come after them.  
  
Cloud took the lead as they jumped across the rooftops – the easiest way to make some distance from the church without being seen. Officially it wasn't rooftops they were jumping over – rather piles and piles of leftover junk that had gathered and collected outside of Sector 5. Once upon a time people actually lived in that part of the slums, but over the years the land had become a waste yard, with the church at the centre of it all.  
  
As Cloud jumped along, a few feet at a time, he kept an eye out for anyone wandering around on the ground below. As sad as it appeared, there were many people in the slums who would willingly turn people into the authorities in the hope that they would be rewarded, and they often hung around waste yards such as these in the hope of mugging unsuspecting travellers. So Cloud kept up a quick pace as he jogged from pile to pile, looking for a decent place for them to jump down.  
  
"Wait..." came Aeris's faint voice behind him. "Wait, I said!"  
  
Cloud came to a stop on a metal panel, and turned to look behind him. Aeris was a good few metres behind him, standing on the edge of a large chunk of metal over a small drop. She carefully swung her arms back and to before finally making the jump onto the ground below, right beside another jump. She did the same thing by swinging her arms and jumping daintily to the ground, finally reaching the level that Cloud was on and running towards him. She stopped beside him and leaned over, her arms on her knees, panting heavily.  
  
"Puff... wheeze..." she panted heavily, trying to get her breath back once again. "Slow... down... Don't leave me..."  
  
Cloud tilted his head to the side in amusement. Aeris was a difficult person to try and read. When he first saw her she had appeared gentle and smiling, and not the kind of person who could be violent towards others. Yet, in the church, she had found it very easily to pick up a pipe and hit one of the Shinra soldiers around the head, and could possibly be a good SOLDIER candidate. Now here she was, once again back to her delicate self, unable to keep up with him on the rooftops.  
  
"Funny..." Cloud said, observing the differences within her. "I thought you were cut out to be in SOLDIER?"  
  
Aeris immediately pushed herself up and put her hands on her hips stubbornly. "Oh! You're terrible!" she shouted at him angrily. She then glared at him fiercely.  
  
Cloud stared back at her with equal intensity. They held one another's gazes for just a few seconds before they burst out into a fit of laughter, both equally amused by their actions.  
  
Aeris was the first to stop laughing, and looked at Cloud's face. Cloud felt her gaze on him as he stopped laughing, and stared back at Aeris. The young woman looked at him for a few moments more.  
  
"Hey... Cloud," she said suddenly, the laughter gone from her voice. "Were you... ever in SOLDIER?"  
  
"........." Cloud mumbled quietly. He wasn't sure how to answer that question, when he knew many people feared and hated SOLDIER. "I used to be," he answered finally. "How did you guess?"  
  
Aeris pointed to her own green eyes. "Your eyes," she remarked. "They have a strange glow..."  
  
Cloud again wasn't sure how to answer. He knew that his eyes did have a peculiar glow that made them stand out against the eyes of others, but it wasn't usually that noticeable unless someone was clearly taking notice. Obviously Aeris had been looking at him very closely to notice the glow.  
  
"That's the sign of those who have been infused with Mako..." he told her, feeling it was all right to tell her. "A mark of SOLDIER. But, how did you know about that?"  
  
Aeris looked around evasively. "...Oh, nothing."  
  
"Nothing...?"  
  
Aeris nodded her head firmly. "Right, nothing!" she said. She pointed onward. "Come on, let's go! Bodyguard!"  
  
Cloud nodded, and turned away as he began to carry on across the waste. Aeris continued to follow him, but it wasn't long before she was falling behind once again, unable to keep up with Cloud's pace.  
  
They soon found a space to jump down, but they were forced to wait a few moments more while a single man walked slowly across the waste yard. Once he was out of sight Cloud emerged from the rubbish and jumped down towards the ground, where he turned and waited for Aeris.  
  
Aeris was, as he expected, a few paces behind him. He waited while she made her short, careful jumps, being careful not to tear her dress as she jumped. She eventually reached the ground and stood beside Cloud, sighing with relief.  
  
"Whew! Finally made it off!" she exclaimed. "Now what..."  
  
Cloud watched her while she ran ahead of him and looked around, trying to get her bearings right. Down one end she could see the church not too far away, and so she pointed down the other path.  
  
"My house is over here," she said to Cloud. "Hurry before he comes."  
  
Cloud nodded, and ran after Aeris as she ran down the path towards Sector 5.  
  
They had no problems down the rest of the way, and soon emerged into Sector 5 of the Midgar slums. Cloud could see the differences between Sector 5 and Sector 7 instantly – there were a lot less people in this sector. It was just as dirty as he expected, but the prime difference was that there was a gentle smell of freshness in the air, something Cloud did not expect.  
  
Aeris walked ahead of Cloud and stopped next to a large, round pipe – the entrance to one of the slum houses (a sign that the people of Midgar really did use anything and everything to keep a roof over their heads). The young woman pointed to the inside of the pipe.  
  
"This guy is sick," she said to him, motioning inside the pipe. "He passed out nearby and someone must have helped him here."  
  
She walked in through the open pipe doorway. Cloud followed her, and saw her on the inside standing next to a man who was sitting up on the bed.  
  
Aeris had been right – the guy did look sick. His face was slightly pale and shaking, and he was trembling slightly. From the slightly vacant expression on his face Cloud figured he was probably on drugs, for he could not even talk properly or even acknowledge they were there.  
  
"Ooh... aaah... aghhhh......" was all he could muster to say.  
  
Aeris stood up beside him. "This is the one..." she said, putting a hand on the sick man's shoulder. She looked up at Cloud earnestly. "Won't you help him?"  
  
"Ooh... aaah... aghhhh......" the man groaned again, although he wasn't replying to anyone.  
  
Cloud crossed his arms and looked at Aeris. "Listen, I'm no doctor," he said.  
  
"No... I guess not..." Aeris admitted sadly. It had been a false hope, but she knew she had to try. She looked up again. "Hey... that man has a tattoo. I think it was the number 2."  
  
She pointed to his arm, and Cloud spotted the black tattoo imprinted roughly on his arm. It did look kind of like the number two. He thought it was a strange thing to have as a tattoo, but the man was in no condition to answer him.  
  
Aeris and Cloud soon left the man to his 'ooh-ing' and 'aahh-ing' and carried on towards Aeris's house – with Aeris leading the way.  
  
As they reached Aeris's house Cloud discovered where the fresh smell was coming from, and stared in absolute amazement.  
  
Aeris's house was actually a house – and not a building built roughly out of scrap metal. Also, beside the house there was a large garden – and this was where the fresh smell was coming from. The garden was filled to the brim with beautiful flowers and grass, releasing a dozen pleasant fragrances into the air. It was a completely tranquil setting, and seemed completely out of place compared to the rest of the slums.  
  
Aeris walked in through the unlocked door of the house. Cloud followed her almost nervously, unsure of what to expect inside.  
  
"I'm home, mom," Aeris called as she stood inside the house.  
  
Cloud looked around the inside of the house, and found that it was just as comforting inside as it was on the outside. The house was neatly decorated, with a clean table in the centre and a tiny little kitchen just off the side. As Aeris called a fairly elderly woman called Elmyra walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Her face was slightly old but very content, and also very pleased to see Aeris back. As she entered Aeris turned to Cloud and presented him to her.  
  
"This is Cloud," she said. "My bodyguard."  
  
"Bodyguard...? You mean you were followed again!?" Elmyra asked, looking at Cloud. She suddenly jumped and walked to Aeris in a hurry, checking her all over. "Are you all right!? You're not hurt, are you!?"  
  
"I'm all right," Aeris insisted as Elmyra checked her over for any physical damage. "I had Cloud with me."  
  
This seemed to reassure Elmyra. She looked at Cloud again, this time looking more closely at his face. She stared passively for a minute, before her grave expression turned to a smile as she gently bowed to Cloud in thanks.  
  
"Thank you, Cloud."  
  
Then Elmyra turned and headed up the stairs towards the upper part of the house, leaving Aeris and Cloud alone in the living room. When she was gone Aeris turned to Cloud curiously.  
  
"So what are you going to do now?" she asked him.  
  
Cloud folded his arms for a moment, unsure of what he was going to do. So much had already happened since he crashed through the roof of the church, and he had almost forgotten about it. He suddenly remembered Tifa and Barret, and wondered if they had managed to get out of the reactor before it blew up on them. And if they did survive, they would surely be out of their minds with worry, wondering if he had survived his fall. Tifa would be much more worried than Barret, he figured.  
  
"...Is Sector 7 far from here?" Cloud asked of Aeris as he remembered Tifa. "I want to get to Tifa's bar."  
  
Aeris raised an eyebrow at Cloud. "Is Tifa... a girl?"  
  
"Yeah," said Cloud, nodding his head.  
  
"A girl...friend?"  
  
Cloud stared. "Girlfriend?" he asked. He shook his head vigorously. "No way!"  
  
Aeris smiled with something that looked like relief, and even laughed a little at Cloud's reaction. "Hee hee hee......" she laughed. "You don't have to get THAT upset..." She stopped laughing as she winked at Cloud. "Well, that's... nice. Let's see, Sector 7? I'll show you the way."  
  
"You gotta be kidding," Cloud said in utter disbelief. They had barely managed to get to Sector 5 in one piece, and now Aeris was offering to go out into the dangerous slums again. "Why do you want to put yourself in danger again?"  
  
Aeris winked again. "I'm used to it," she replied.  
  
"Used to it!?" Cloud demanded, now completely shocked. He took a breath and folded his arms, thinking about it. "......Well, don't know... getting help from a girl..."  
  
Immediately Aeris's eyes flared as she glowered at him. "A girl!?" she raged at him furiously. "What do you mean by that!? You expect me to just sit by and listen, after hearing you say that!?" She turned to the stairs and called up to Elmyra. "Mom! I'm taking Cloud to Sector 7. I'll be back in a while."  
  
As she spoke Elmyra began to walk down the stairs. Upon hearing Aeris's words she looked up in alarm, concerned for Aeris's safety.  
  
"But dear..." she protested. She then realised her protest was futile, and so she sighed. "I give up. You never listen once you've made up your mind. But if you must go, why don't you go tomorrow? It's getting late now."  
  
Aeris nodded. "Yeah, you're right, mom."  
  
Elmyra almost sighed with relief. "Aeris, please go and make the bed."  
  
Aeris nodded and quickly headed upstairs to make up a spare bed for Cloud to stay on. Cloud watched her go, feeling a little like an outsider in this happy family household. When he looked back down he noticed Elmyra looking directly at his eyes with a rather grave and serious expression, and Cloud felt uncomfortable.  
  
"That glow in your eyes..." she whispered, staring at him. "You're from SOLDIER, right?"  
  
"Yeah," replied Cloud. "Rather I used to be..."  
  
The old woman in front of him closed her eyes heavily and swallowed hard. Somehow this revelation seemed to strike a nerve within her, and when she reopened her eyes and looked at Cloud, she looked very regretful, but firm.  
  
"......I don't know how to say this, but..." she began nervously, unsure of how to say it. "Would you please leave here, tonight? Without telling Aeris." Cloud stared blankly for a few seconds, and Elmyra looked down at the ground. "SOLDIER... the last thing Aeris needs is to get her feelings hurt again..."  
  
Cloud stared for a few more seconds, before he finally nodded his head. Elmyra was instantly relieved, and gave Cloud a brief, apologetic smile, before she turned and quickly headed into the kitchen to carry on with her work. Cloud on the other hand, went slowly up the stairs after Aeris.  
  
She was just coming out of the spare room as Cloud walked up the stairs. Cloud hesitated for a few seconds as he saw her, unsure of what to say. Something about the way Elmyra had asked him to leave gave him the impression that Aeris had run into SOLDIER before, although he knew it was none of his business to ask what. But when he saw Aeris look down at him and smile, he immediately began to feel the painful feelings of regret for what he knew he had to do.  
  
"You need to go through Sector 6 to get to Sector 7," Aeris said to him as he walked up. "Sector 6 is a little dangerous, so you'd better get some rest tonight."  
  
Slowly Cloud nodded, and began to walk sombrely into his room. He tried not to glance at Aeris's happy face as he walked past her, and fought the urge to turn around and look at her.  
  
"Cloud..."  
  
Cloud stopped in his tracks, clenching his fists to fight the urge to turn to her. Instead he lifted his head up and tilted his head only slightly, just to give the impression that he was listening.  
  
"Goodnight," Aeris said quietly, and began to walk down the stairs.  
  
As she was heading down the stairs, Cloud slowly turned and spotted her as she was walking. Seeing her gentle face made him immediately wish he had not turned around at all, or at least not to even enter her house. He felt like an outsider in a strange world that only Aeris and her mother belonged, and it seemed a painful thing to do what Elmyra wanted him to do.  
  
"Oh, man..." he groaned. 


	11. Part 01: Chapter 11

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Eleven**  
  
Cloud lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling of the room he was staying in, within Aeris's house. The rest of the house was quiet – Aeris and her mom had gone to bed hours before. Still, Cloud couldn't be sure whether they were asleep or not, and so he was thinking quietly to himself to pass the time, until it was possible for him to sneak out of the house without Aeris hearing him.  
  
While he counted the minutes he tapped his foot gently against the soft sheets of the bed, fighting the urge to sleep. He wondered what Tifa and the rest of AVALANCHE would be doing right then. It wasn't incredibly late, so Tifa's bar – The 7th Heaven – should still be open by the time he got back. Barret and the other AVALANCHE members would probably be in their secret hideout under the bar, planning their next mission without him. Cloud figured that Barret wouldn't be worried – he never liked Cloud anyway. And Cloud didn't care about him, either. He yawned loudly and closed his eyes.  
  
_...Seem pretty tired..._  
  
Cloud jumped violently at the sound of the voice once again inside his mind.  
  
_"......!?"  
  
I haven't slept in a bed like this... in a long time.  
  
"...Oh, yeah,"_ Cloud muttered silently. He tried to ignore the annoying voice in his mind, but it wouldn't seem to go away.  
  
_Ever since that time._

* * *

_"My, how you've grown," said the female voice. "I'll bet the girls never leave you alone."  
  
Cloud didn't look up from the bed and continued to stare up at the ceiling. As he lay there his mother walked around the perimeter of the bed, looking him over with a gentle smile on her fair, slightly old face. She was not as strong as she used to be, but she still seemed as vibrant as ever.  
  
Cloud sighed heavily. "...Not really," he replied lazily, still refusing to get up.  
  
Mrs. Strife looked at him with a flash of concern. "I... I'm worried about you," she admitted. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked right up beside her son. "There are a lot of temptations in the city... I'd feel a lot better if you just settled down and had a nice girlfriend."  
  
"...I'm all right," Cloud said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then sighed, completely relaxed on the soft, familiar bed.  
  
Still his mother wouldn't quit. "You should have... an older girlfriend," she said, thinking hard. "One that'll take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you."  
  
"......I'm not interested."_

* * *

Cloud suddenly snapped his eyes open, awake, and stared blankly up at the unfamiliar ceiling. He blinked for a few second as he tried to remember where he was, before he shook his head and sat up. He was still in Aeris's house. As he looked out of the window he saw that it was fairly dark outside – much darker than it had been when he had closed his eyes.  
  
"...I must have fallen asleep," he whispered quietly to himself. He stood up and walked towards the door of his room. He paused as he held the handle. "Sector 7's past Sector 6... I should be all right by myself..."  
  
He quietly pulled down on the handle, and it only made a slight squeaking sound. Aeris's room was directly next to the spare room, and if he made any loud sounds he would wake her and be caught. So he tried to be as quiet as he could as he shut the bedroom door behind him and began to tread carefully down the stairs towards the front door.  
  
The living room was just as quiet as upstairs, and it looked very dark and lonely with the lights off. Elmyra, anticipating that Cloud would do as she asked, had left the front door unlocked for him, so he was able to sneak out of the house without being seen, and slipped off into the night.  
  
The rest of Sector 5 was just as quiet. All the people were now safely tucked up in their beds, all the shops were shut and locked up tight, and every light was off. It was very silent, and even the pipe with the sick man was quiet – everybody was asleep apart from Cloud.  
  
Quickly but quietly Cloud left Sector 5 – leaving the houses and fresh air behind him and back into the dirty paths of the waste yard that surrounded the sectors. He remembered that the Sector 5 church was done one side of the path, so Cloud turned and headed down the other way, to the other path that would most likely lead to Sector 6. He walked briskly, his sword resting on his back, towards the broken wall that bordered Sectors 5 and 6. As he approached the wall however, he got a shock.  
  
Aeris was already standing there waiting for him. She had somehow anticipated that Cloud would try to leave without her, and so she had set off early herself in hope of catching him before he left. A strap of rope was resting over her shoulder to hold up a long staff, which was her personal weapon, and which she had quickly picked up before she left. She smiled knowingly as Cloud approached her, with a stunned look on his face.  
  
"You're up bright and early," she said.  
  
Cloud sighed heavily. "How could I ask you to go along when I knew it would be dangerous?" he asked her. He neglected to mention the fact that Aeris's mother had also asked him to leave without her. But as Elmyra had said, it was difficult to make Aeris changed her mind once it was made up.  
  
"Are you done?" asked Aeris. Cloud scratched the back of his head nervously, his face slightly red. Aeris turned towards the hole in the wall border. "You have to go through the slum in Sector 6 to get to Tifa's 7th Heaven. I'll take you there. Come on!"  
  
Before Cloud had a chance to stop her, Aeris turned and ran through the hole in the wall to the interconnecting paths that joined the two sectors together. Cloud stared for a moment He finally realised that there was no way he could make Aeris change her mind and go back home, so he just shrugged and ran through the wall after her before she could go too far.  
  
He soon caught up with Aeris on the other side of the wall, and together they walked quickly but carefully through towards Sector 6.  
  
The wall they passed through was one of many walls that bordered each of the eight sectors of Midgar. That was one of the reasons why each of the separate towns within the city became known as sectors, for they were all cut off from each other. Eventually, as Jessie had said, people forgot the names of the separate towns, and the eight sectors were born. It was difficult at times to move from sector to sector, but it was even more difficult to get out of Midgar. No one could leave Midgar without special permission, and it was just as difficult to get into Midgar. Midgar had become a prison that way, with its inhabitants unable to get in or out.  
  
The paths that ran between Sector 5 and Sector 6 was a barren construction yard, which had become the dumping ground for all of the old machines that were no longer used for construction. Wherever Cloud looked he could see large cranes, diggers and trucks. Once they had finished their working lives they had just been left exactly where they were, left to rust and rot.  
  
No one had ever bothered to move them, so now they were part of the Sector 5 rubbish yard. The closest anyone had ever come to moving them was to move them closer to the higher walls and paths, so it was possible to clamber to the other side to reach the other sectors. Cloud and Aeris had to cross over these at one point, and Cloud helped Aeris to climb over the rusting metal of a large digger that had been dumped beside a wall. Once they were safely over they jumped down and headed on towards Sector 6.  
  
The first sight Cloud saw of Sector 6 was what looked like an abandoned playground. The giveaway signs were of course the old slides and swings, and even a half empty sandpit near the entrance. Of course nothing was really usable anymore, and children never came to play – everything was too dangerous. The chains holding the swings were now frail and ready to snap, while the slide looked about ready to crumble and fall apart. Beyond the park was another large wall with a giant metal gate, which sealed off the sectors beyond.  
  
Aeris stepped up to the broken gate that led into the park. Cloud walked slowly behind her, looking around at the desolate park. It seemed as though everything in Midgar was either dead or dying. Aeris stopped a few metres ahead and pointed to the large gate ahead of her.  
  
"The gate to Sector 7's in there," she said.  
  
"Thanks," said Cloud, looking to where he was pointing. He then looked back at Aeris. "I guess this is goodbye. You gonna be all right going home?"  
  
"Oh no! 'What ever will I do!?'" Aeris cried in mocking fear. She looked at Cloud's unimpressed face. "...Isn't that what you want me to say?"  
  
Cloud sighed heavily. "I'll see you home," he said. He knew the way now, and could easily make it back on his own.  
  
"Isn't that a little out of the way?" Aeris asked, pointing out the obvious flaw in Cloud's logic.  
  
Cloud realised it at the same time as she did. He scratched the back of his head nervously, his face turning slightly red.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," he admitted.  
  
Aeris smiled knowingly and turned to the park. "Can we take a break?" she asked.  
  
She walked further into the park and stopped beside the sand pit, with Cloud standing beside her. The young woman gasped as she looked up at the slide. It was built in the shape of half a Moogle's head, with the slide being its tongue.  
  
"I can't believe it's still here," she breathed.  
  
She suddenly ran forward and disappeared behind the back of the slide. Cloud watched vacantly as he heard some loud rustling from behind the old metal slide, before Aeris's body suddenly appeared on the top of the slide from where she had climbed up to reach the playground item she had loved so well. Instead of sliding down the slide however, she simply sat down on the top and waved down to Cloud.  
  
"Cloud, over here!" she called.  
  
The ex-SOLDIER stared at Aeris, feeling again that she was in one of her happy, nostalgic moods. He himself had not been on a slide for many years, but he did not get the same urge that Aeris apparently did. He shrugged dismissively and headed to the back of the slide to climb up to her. When he was at the top Aeris shifted over to give him room to sit, and together they sat on the top of the slide and looked out at the rest of the deserted park. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, but Aeris suddenly looked up at Cloud, trying to speak.  
  
"What rank were you?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"Rank?"  
  
"You know," Aeris said, pulling her knees up close to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "In SOLDIER."  
  
"Oh, I was..." Cloud began. He blinked as his head buzzed a little, trying to remember. "First Class."  
  
Aeris looked down once more, and gently lay her head on her knees, just as she did on the church roof.  
  
"Just the same as him," she whispered quietly.  
  
Cloud looked at her. "The same as who?"  
  
"My first boyfriend," replied Aeris.  
  
"You were... serious?"  
  
"No," Aeris admitted. She looked up. "But I liked him for a while."  
  
"I probably knew him," said Cloud. "What was his name?"  
  
"It doesn't really matter," Aeris said, and Cloud again got the feeling that she was trying to avoid the conversation. He looked at her for a few moments more. She looked back at him and gave him a wide, happy smile to show that she was okay. Cloud even smiled a little back.  
  
He was about to say something else to Aeris when a loud grating noise suddenly pierced through the silence that had spread between them, and Cloud turned to look behind him.  
  
The gate leading into Sector 7 had suddenly slid open, and something was emerging from it. It looked like a large and elegant trailer that was being pulled by a Chocobo – a birdlike creature that was often used for manual work. There was nothing particularly interesting about the trailer apart from its splendour – and the person that was standing at the back of the trailer, being taken to the next sector.  
  
Cloud barely recognised her at first, for she was dressed very differently from what she usually wore. She wore a short blue dress – a very short blue dress to show off as much of her body as she was allowed to. Her long brown hair had been specially styled and she had worn make up to make herself as attractive as possible.  
  
"Huh? Hey, back there......" Cloud said, standing up to look at the trailer more clearly.  
  
As he stood, the woman on the back of the trailer looked up and glanced over at Cloud. The two met gazes, and instantly the woman's face lit up with delight and relief. She waved over to Cloud, but she couldn't say anything as the trailer carried her off towards Sector 6.  
  
"Tifa!" Cloud shouted, but Tifa was already out of earshot before he found the words to speak.  
  
"That girl in the cart was Tifa?" Aeris asked, looking back at Cloud. "Where was she going? She looked kind of odd..."  
  
Aeris climbed up to her feet and let herself run quickly down the slide to the ground. When she reached the bottom she brushed off her dress, and then began to run after the trailer towards Sector 6. Cloud looked up in alarm.  
  
"Wait! I'll go on alone," he called to her. "You go home!"  
  
He was too late to stop her as well. Aeris had already turned the corner to head directly into Sector 6 – a sector she herself had admitted was a very dangerous sector. He sighed heavily and shook his head, before he also jumped down off the slide and began to run after Aeris.  
  
As Cloud finally arrived at the Wall Market in Sector 6, he could see what Aeris had meant when she had called it a rough place. It was a dirty, violent-looking place, with many people walking around. Of course, the people that were walking around were punks with spiked hair, many body piercings and a bad body odour. Many of the punks were walking around had stoned, vacant faces, and were probably doped up on some kind of herb or drug or something.  
  
Luckily Aeris had not gone to far into the sector by herself. He spotted her beside the late night inn, speaking to one of the workers while he sat outside taking a break. As Cloud walked up he saw the worker shake his head, and Aeris looked down. She finally spotted Cloud as he walked up to her, and she headed over towards him.  
  
"This place is scary in a lot of ways," she explained. "Especially for a girl. So we've got to find Tifa fast."  
  
So Aeris stayed very close to Cloud as they began to wander through the sector, looking for any places that Tifa could be, or at least any sign of the trailer that brought her to the sector. Because Aeris was obviously with Cloud most of the punks stayed well away, or were to drugged up to even notice them.  
  
Unfortunately none of the shops they passed by looked like the kind of ones that that trailer would stop at. Tifa had been dressed very extravagantly, and the only shops they had seen so far around here were clothes shops, midnight restaurants and inns.  
  
Then again, there was one inn they saw that looked like a likely place for such a trailer to go. The inn was called the 'Honey Bee Inn', and as they approached they saw the trailer that Tifa had been riding in parked outside, although there was no sign of Tifa. The place was crawling with punks – some wishing they could go in, while others wished they had the courage to go in.  
  
The owner of the inn was standing outside, trying to draw in new customers into his inn. As he saw Cloud walking up to him a large smile appeared on his face and motioned him to come forward.  
  
"Welcome!" he said cheerfully. "Even unpopular dweebs, like you may meet your destiny here!! You looking for a girlfriend, too?"  
  
Aeris glanced around at the other men that were gathered at the inn. At first they had been pretty much unresponsive, but as they saw Aeris their eyes lit up with excitement and stared at her dreamily, wondering if she also worked at the inn. She inched a little closer to Cloud.  
  
"You know a girl called Tifa?" Cloud asked, getting straight to the point.  
  
The owner blinked in surprise. "Hey, you're pretty fast," he observed, smiling proudly. "Tifa's our newest girl. But, unfortunately, she's having an interview right now. Here at the Honey Bee Inn, it's customary for the new girls to be taken to Don Corneo's mansion. Don Corneo's a famous dilettante. Now he wants to settle down and it in the market for a bride."  
  
Despite him saying that Don Corneo was famous, neither Cloud nor Aeris had ever heard or. As they headed away from the inn and the hopeful looks of the punks gathered outside the inn, they headed towards the one place in Wall Market that they had not checked – right up in the far north of the sector.  
  
Sure enough, Don Corneo's mansion was built there, right at the back of a bunch of stalls. From the looks of the mansion Don Corneo was probably the richest and most powerful man in Wall Market. Cloud wondered why he didn't move up to the upper plate, for he could obviously afford it. Then he realised that the people in the slums were desperate for money and jobs, and this would be the perfect place to set up his kind of business. He couldn't understand why Tifa would want to come to a place like this, so he knew he had to talk to her and find out.  
  
There was a guard standing outside the door of the mansion – another slum citizen that had been hired to guard the entrance to the mansion. He looked up and frowned at Cloud as he walked up, not noticing Aeris.  
  
"This is the mansion of Don Corneo, the most powerful man in Wall Market," he growled, curling his lip. "Look, the Don's not into men. So don't let me catch you around here again..." He then saw Aeris and stared. "Hey, and you got another cute one with you!"  
  
Aeris stared back for a moment, before she had an idea. She grabbed hold of Cloud's arm and pulled him back away from the mansion to a quiet corner where she could talk to him without the guard hearing.  
  
"Hey, this looks like the Don's mansion. I'll go take a look," she said and turned away. "I'll tell Tifa about you." She headed for the door.  
  
"No! You can't!" Cloud protested.  
  
Aeris stopped and walked back to Cloud. She clasped her hands together behind her back and looked at him.  
  
"Why?  
  
Cloud swallowed nervously. There was a one very big, HUGE reason why he didn't want her to go in there, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.  
  
"You DO know... what kind of... place this is, don't you?"  
  
"Then what am I supposed to do?" asked Aeris. "You want to go in with me?"  
  
Cloud crossed his arms and turned his head away in thought. "Well, being a man, that'll be pretty hard. Besides if I bust in there, it'll cause too much commotion."  
  
Aeris watched him for a minute. Suddenly her eyes lit up as she had another brilliant idea. It was such a terrific and hilarious idea that she had to quickly turn away from Cloud as she began to giggle under her breath.  
  
"But, I can't just let you go in alone..." Cloud continued to say, not noticing Aeris's giggles. "Oh, man... First... we need to find out if Tifa's alright..." He glanced at Aeris. "What's so funny, Aeris?"  
  
Aeris turned to Cloud, her face red with giggling. She grabbed his hand again and spurted out her idea.  
  
"Cloud, why don't you dress up like a girl? It's the only way."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
Aeris turned to the guard again. "Just wait. I've got a cute friend I want to bring." She then turned back to Cloud, who was staring at her in horror, his face bright red just thinking about Aeris's suggestion.  
  
"Aeris! I can't..."  
  
"You ARE worried about Tifa, aren't you?" Aeris asked him. Cloud nodded. "Then come on, hurry!"  
  
She turned and ran off back into Wall Market with much energy and enthusiasm. Cloud just stood frozen to the spot and watched her go. Then he sighed heavily and began to walk slowly back into Wall Market after Aeris, wondering what on earth he had gotten himself into. 


	12. Part 01: Chapter 12

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Twelve**  
  
Aeris led the way through Wall Market, dragging an unwilling Cloud along by his hand towards one of the late-night clothes shops where she could get him a suitable dress that could trick the guard and get him into Don Corneo's mansion. She had to drag Cloud along because he wouldn't move otherwise, for he absolutely hated the idea of having to dress up as a girl to get into the mansion. He knew there was no other way, but that didn't mean he had to like it.  
  
Luckily the Clothes Shop was still open despite the time, and Aeris dragged Cloud inside despite his desperate protests. She released Cloud's hand as she walked in boldly, and went right up to the till, wasting no time in getting to the point.  
  
"Excuse me!" she said cheerfully to the girl behind the counter. "I'd like to get a dress."  
  
The girl looked up at Aeris with a look of regret. "Umm, it might take a little time," she said apologetically. "Will that be all right?"  
  
Aeris tilted her head. "What's the problem?"  
  
The shop girl looked down. "Well, my father, the owner, has been in a slump lately," she explained. "You see, he makes all the dresses."  
  
"And where is your father?"  
  
"He's probably plastered at the bar," she replied. There was a sad look on her face, and Aeris figured this was something she had probably had to deal with for a while now.  
  
"So..." Aeris said cheerfully, as usual. "You're saying we can't get a dress unless we do something about your father?"  
  
The girl nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry. He's caused so much trouble." Her eyes suddenly opened wide as she realised what Aeris was saying, and she stared at her in surprise and hope. "You'd help me bring him back?"  
  
"Well, if we don't do something, we don't get a dress, right?" Aeris said simply.  
  
The shop girl's eyes lit up in delight, and clasped her hands together in joy. "Really!?" she asked, still unable to believe her ears. "Please help my crazy old dad. I just don't know what to do anymore..."  
  
Aeris nodded. "All right, we'll do something." She turned towards the door. "Let's go, Cloud!"  
  
Cloud stood there with his jaw half open, unable to get a word in edgeways while Aeris made the quick decision to help the shop assistant's father. Aeris marched off confidently out of the shop in search of the pub. He glanced at the shop girl's hopeful face and then sighed heavily. He had no choice but to follow Aeris, so he slowly shuffled out of the door and back into the streets of Wall Market.  
  
Outside, Aeris was waving for him to follow her, for she knew roughly where the pub was. Cloud dragged his feet as he followed her, for he was really not happy with what Aeris was planning. Aeris on the other hand, was quite enthusiastic, and didn't seem to mind that Cloud's dignity was on the line for Tifa.  
  
The Wall Market Pub was near the north part of the sector, not too far from Don Corneo's mansion. It looked like a rather rough place and not the most hygienic of places, but then again, neither were the rest of the slums beneath the upper plates of Midgar. As Aeris and Cloud walked in they were hit with the strong scent of alcohol and other strange smells, but they didn't want to know what those were.  
  
Surprisingly there were only a few people in the pub that night, but none of them looked like they were old enough to be running a clothes store. For a few moments they looked around blankly, until Aeris pointed over to the corner of the bar near the door.  
  
A single, middle-aged man was sat there, slumped in his chair as he held a half-finished drink in his hands. He looked depressed, which was either natural or because of the amount of alcohol he had consumed. He also looked fairly drunk. However he was the only likely candidate in the entire bar, so Aeris and Cloud walked silently over to him. They stopped behind him, and Aeris gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.  
  
"Excuse us," she said as politely as she could. "Are you the father of the girl at the Clothing Store?"  
  
The man didn't look up at first, and simply took another large swig of his drink. Aeris was about to speak again when he suddenly slammed the glass furiously onto the table, and ominously swerved round in his chair to face the two. Aeris and Cloud both jumped back nervously, slightly anxious by the sudden aggressive manner of the man.  
  
"I own the Clothes Shop..." he said. His words were slurred and slightly uncontrolled, for he was very drunk. "But I ain't your father."  
  
Aeris blinked blankly. Clear he was very, very drunk. "I didn't say that......" she replied, but Cloud quickly butted in.  
  
"Make me some clothes," he said.  
  
The owner of the Clothes Shop turned and glanced at Cloud. He looked him blankly up and down, and slowly curled his lip in disgust. He looked like he was ready to pounce, but was too drunk to be bothered getting up.  
  
"I don't make men's clothes," he replied curtly. "And I don't feel like makin' anything right now."  
  
Aeris turned to Cloud. "Cloud, you wait over there for a second," she said, pointing behind them. "I'll try and talk to him. Why don't you got over there and have something to drink?"  
  
Cloud stared at her for a minute, but then turned and walked away from Aeris and the Clothes Shop Owner. He walked a few feet away and sat down at a table with a half empty glass of drink on it. He tapped his foot against the floor as he waited for Aeris to finish talking to the man, and crossed his arms. Once he was completely out of earshot and looking away from them, Aeris turned back to the Clothes Shop owner, and spoke as gently and as reasonably as she could.  
  
"You know, Mister," she said softly. "He always said that just once, he'd like to dress up like a girl. So, that's why I wanted a cute dress for him..."  
  
This caught the Shop Owner's attention. He raised an eyebrow and took a fleeting glance at Cloud, who was busy drinking from the glass that had been left at the table. He was most surprised when he looked at Cloud's build, for he was fairly strong, and certainly not the type who looked like they wanted to dress up as a girl.  
  
"What!?" he asked in surprise. "A tough lookin' guy like that?"  
  
Aeris nodded. "So, how 'bout it?" she asked. "Will you make him one?"  
  
The owner looked at Cloud once more. He leaned back in his chair as he thought for a moment, and rubbed his chin. Aeris watched him hopefully, and was relieved as a small smile spread across his face.  
  
"...Might be interesting," he admitted, his curiosity peaked. "I was gettin' a little bored just makin' regular clothes."  
  
"Then you'll do it for us?" asked Aeris.  
  
The owner nodded. "Yeah, all right. What kind of dress you want?"  
  
Aeris folded her arms and thought for a moment, trying to get the perfect picture in her head. "Something... that feels soft. And something that shimmers."  
  
"Hmm, got it," the owner said, nodding his head again. "Y'know, I got a friend that has the same taste as him. I'll go talk to him."  
  
He then turned back to his drink and finished it off in one large swig, and then got up and walked out of the pub towards his shop again to work on the dress. Once he was gone Aeris jumped up and clapped her hands in delight, and skipped over to Cloud with a large smile on her face.  
  
"Will he do it?" asked Cloud.  
  
Aeris nodded. "Yes," she said. "Let's head over there and watch it being done."  
  
Cloud swallowed nervously, now really uncomfortable with the idea. But he nodded, and so he and Aeris left the pub and headed back towards the clothes shop.  
  
As they entered they saw the owner standing behind the counter once more, just finishing serving another customer. The girl was now beside the clothes rack with a happy smile on her face, extremely relieved that her father was back in the shop with her with renewed motivation. As the two entered the owner looked and smiled at them.  
  
"Oh, you're here," he said, sounding surprised. "It's ready. Go try it on."  
  
Cloud just stared, amazed at how quickly the dress had been prepared. He swallowed nervously, feeling slightly anxious now that the moment of truth had come. The shop assistant took the dress off a nearby rack and handed it to him. It was a long purple dress with long sleeves, made of purple silk and shimmering in the light of the bulb that lit up the shop. Cloud sighed heavily and shook his head, before taking the dress and walking into the single cube changing room at the end of the shop.  
  
Changing into the shop proved to be a harder task than Cloud had thought it would be. Being a man, he had never had to change into a dress before, and really had no idea how to put it on.  
  
"How... do you put this on?" he asked.  
  
Outside of the cubicle, Aeris had been leaning against the counter while she waited for Cloud to change. She then pushed herself away from the counter and went to the cubicle, peeking through the curtains to see.  
  
"Whoa! What are you doing!?" came Cloud's voice on the other side.  
  
Aeris looked for a few moments more before pulling back. "It's still not right," she said. She turned away and thought for a moment. Then she clicked her fingers. "A wig! That's what you need!"  
  
The owner stepped down from the counter and walked to her. "Umm, I thought you might, so I talked to my friend about getting one. You know the gym? You'll find a lot of people there like you. Go and talk to them."  
  
The cubicle curtain twitched and Cloud came out, with the dress back on its hanger. As he heard the owner's words, he looked at Aeris with a severe look on his face.  
  
"...'like you'?" he repeated. "Aeris, what did you tell him?"  
  
"Does it matter?" Aeris asked evasively, shaking her head. "Anyhow, we got a pretty dress!"  
  
And before Cloud could question her any further, Aeris had already run off out of the door of the Clothes Shop, heading back up to where the pub was with Cloud in hot pursuit. The gym was on the opposite side of the market where the pub was, and from the moment they entered, Cloud immediately felt nervous.  
  
The first thing that hit them as they entered the pub was the stench of sweat. The gym was filled with many men who were working out – all of whom were very strong looking, with strong muscles and broad, wide builds.  
  
Standing in the middle of the gym was a woman, but was not actually a woman. It was in fact a man who had dressed up as a woman, by his own choice. He was small and quite slender, but also looked quite strong, with a brown wig covering his real hair. He looked surprisingly good as a woman, but it still made Cloud feel nervous. He/she looked up at Cloud and Aeris as they approached, and especially looked at Cloud.  
  
"You the one... Who wants to be cute?" he asked.  
  
Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Cute?" He looked at Aeris, who simply smiled and looked at the man/woman.  
  
"Right," she said. "And about the wig..."  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I heard. But it'll cost ya."  
  
"Urrrrgh!" came a growl behind him.  
  
Cloud and Aeris looked up as a large, shirtless black man finished punching a bag at the back of the gym and turned to them. He stretched his large muscles and then jumped over towards the two, sweat still pouring over him from his rigid workout.  
  
"Big Bro!!" he growled fiercely. "The only way you're gonna get cuter is if you can beat Big Bro!!"  
  
Up in the wrestling ring, two twin blond men stopped their wrestle and also jumped over towards Cloud and Aeris. They looked just as strong as the other guy, and Cloud and Aeris figured they were both the same (in many ways).  
  
"That's right!" one of the two men said.  
  
The other blond man stretched his muscles. "So, you've got to compete with us!"  
  
The cross-dressed man known as 'Big Bro' turned and nodded. "You're right," he said. "Let's do squats."  
  
The first blond man grinned. "All right! We'll beat you out of this gym!"  
  
Cloud blinked and stared at Big Bro. "Are you..." he began.  
  
"THE beautiful Bro?" Aeris finished.  
  
"What? You didn't know?" the black man asked in disbelief. "Always runnin' around sayin' 'Big Bro' this, 'Big Bro' that..."  
  
Big Bro shook his head. "Never mind that, come over here." Cloud stepped forward, along with the black man. "Now, I'll explain the rules," said Big Bro. "You have to do full squats. From the ready position, to squat, and back to the ready position. Got it?"  
  
Cloud nodded. "Got it."  
  
"Whoever has the most squats after 30 seconds gets the wig," Big Bro finished.  
  
The black guy shook his fists fiercely at Cloud. "I'm not going to lose. Big Bro's wig is MINE!!"  
  
"Just be quiet..." Big Bro said, sighing heavily. He looked at Cloud. "It's not fair for you to start right away. So, you want some practice?"  
  
Cloud looked at his challenger. The black guy was of a very strong build and probably of a very high endurance, and could probably squat for a long time without getting tired. However, Cloud knew that if he practiced first it would probably tire him out and he would be weaker during the real test, giving the black guy the advantage.  
  
"Don't need to practice," he said.  
  
Big Bro nodded. "Now. Let's begin the real thing," he said. He looked down at his wristwatch and raised his hand. "Start!"  
  
At the same time, Cloud and the black man began to squat in the middle of the gym floor. Everyone else in the gym stopped to watch as the two bent their knees into a full squat, and then using their arms to help them go back up smoothly before beginning to squat once more. Big Bro stood beside them, counting the number of squats while at the same time keeping an eye on the time. Aeris watched with excitement as Cloud squatted up and down, urging him on as he slowly began to pull ahead of his opponent.  
  
Eventually Big Bro glanced down at his watch one last time and lowered his hand to signal the end of the match. Cloud and the black man both stopped squatting and looked over at him, awaiting their results.  
  
Big Bro smiled. "He had 15 squats and you had 18 squats," he replied, and Aeris jumped for joy. "You're really something. Okay, I'm a man of my word, here you are."  
  
He walked to Cloud and handed him a blond wig. It looked quite authentic and was split into two even pigtails. The wig even seemed to be exactly the same shade as Cloud's own hair, so there was no worry about it clashing with his skin. Cloud took the wig and looked down at it blankly, while the black man stood shaking his large fists angrily.  
  
"Big Bro, I'm so mad!" he growled. "I'm so, so, so---mad!"  
  
Big Bro turned ominously and walked towards the black man while he stood there cursing loudly over his loss. Big Bro stopped in front of him and paused for a second, before he reached up and gave the man an almighty punch across his face. The black man went flying across the gym floor and landed with a loud thud at the other end of the gym, where he slumped instantly to the floor in a weak and helpless heap. Big Bro was stronger than he looked, despite being smaller than the others.  
  
"Shut up!" Big Bro ordered him crossly. "Don't cry just because you lost!"  
  
The black man tried to stand up, but he fell back onto the floor, still winded. "Uuuuhh," he groaned. "Bro's fists of steel cut to the bone!"  
  
While Big Bro and the two blond twins went over to see if their friend was all right, Aeris and Cloud quickly headed out of the gym and back towards the clothes shop. Throughout the time they were walking Cloud just kept turning the wig round and round in his hands and slowly shaking his head. Aeris walked beside him with a large smile on her face, glad now that they had all that they needed to make Cloud into a girl. She did have the idea of getting other accessories for him – perfume, jewellery, even lingerie, but she figured Cloud would just draw the line at that. Which was a pity.  
  
As the entered the Clothes Shop, the owner turned to them from behind the till and nodded.  
  
"Looks like you're all set. Now try it on, and we'll see how it fits."  
  
Cloud hesitated again for a second, still unsure about whether him dressing up as a girl was a good idea, and extremely worried about what Aeris had said to the owner to get him to agree in the first place. Aeris noticed his hesitation and turned to him.  
  
"Aren't you going to change?" she asked.  
  
Cloud took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay... I'm ready," he said.  
  
He then walked into the changing room, and everyone waited to see the result. 


	13. Part 01: Chapter 13

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Thirteen**  
  
Finally the curtain of the changing room twitched and Cloud came out. Everyone in the shop stopped and gasped at the result, for it was a very good transformation, and if they didn't know any better, they would have been convinced that Cloud was in fact a girl.  
  
Despite his strong build the dress that Cloud wore managed to cover up pretty most of his muscles, and left him looking quite delicate and feminine. The dress ran all the way down to his feet, leaving only a small part of his boots visible so he could walk easily. The wig also managed to cover up most of his hair apart from the odd blond spike, but the overall effect was quite good and very convincing. The owner looked at Cloud up and down, rather impressed by the transformation.  
  
"Hmm, not bad," he said. "This may be a new business for me."  
  
His daughter nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. Should we try it?" she suggested. She turned to Aeris and Cloud, the weary and desperate smile now gone from her face and replaced with a smile of happiness. "Thanks for showing us something new. My father's got his motivation back now. So the dress is on the house."  
  
Aeris turned to Cloud. "Walk more nicely like... this. Miss Cloud," said Aeris, and walked delicately across the floor of the Clothes Shop.  
  
Cloud just stared. "...What do you mean 'nicely'?" he asked her.  
  
He also then walked across the shop, his movements slightly altered because of the dress. Aeris watched him for a moment, and figured that his walk was okay enough to be convincing. She clasped her hands together tightly, unable to contain her excitement.  
  
"Oh you're so cute, Miss Cloud," she said teasingly, amused by Cloud's glare. "Aaah, I want one. Do you have one that'll look good on me too?"  
  
All at once the owner and his daughter began to choose some beautiful dresses from their long racks, choosing the ones they thought would suit Aeris best. Unfortunately their ideas were clashing.  
  
"How's this?"  
  
"How about that one?"  
  
"Father, what are you talking about? This one's much better."  
  
"No, what are you saying? This one."  
  
Aeris then walked towards the clothes rail, directly between the shop owner and his daughter. She reached out and picked one particular dress that caught her eye.  
  
"...I want THIS one," she said.  
  
She pulled the dress off the rail and placed it over her to see how it looked. It was a long red silk dress with a slim shape, and shimmered in the light. Aeris seemed quite pleased with it, while the shop owner and his daughter just stared in amazement.  
  
"Huh?" they gasped, astounded.  
  
Aeris turned, holding the dress. "I'm going to change," she said plainly, and walked towards the changing room to change into the dress she had chosen. Before she walked in however, she stopped and turned back to the people in the shop. "...No peeking!" she warned them, and then entered the changing room.  
  
A minute or so later she emerged from the changing room wearing the dress, her original clothing in a bag that she could carry around with her. She had untied the pink ribbon that bound the ends of her plait together, letting her thick brown hair spread out across her back, long and wavy. As she came out she twirled in the dress elegantly.  
  
"So? How do I look?" she asked excitedly, looking to Cloud for her answer.  
  
Cloud stared vacantly for a moment or two, unsure of how he should reply to Aeris's question. In the end he looked down at the ground and shook his head pitifully, sighing heavily. Aeris looked at him and put her hands on her hips indignantly.  
  
"Oh, you're no fun!" she told him.  
  
Once everything was ready Cloud and Aeris stepped out into the streets of Wall Market and headed towards Don Corneo's mansion. Cloud stared uncomfortably as he felt the gazes of many men looking over him and Aeris dreamily, but stopped advancing as they saw Cloud's angry glare looking back at them. Aeris, of course, seemed to like the attention that he was receiving, for she was very proud of her creation. Cloud was not at all comfortable with the attention, for he found it quite scary to think that he made quite a convincing girl.  
  
It was convincing enough for the guard outside Don Corneo's mansion at least. As Cloud and Aeris walked towards him his eyes lit up tremendously, looking them both up and down dreamily. He was especially interested in Cloud, much to his dismay.  
  
"Damn! Your friend's hot, too!!" he exclaimed. Cloud put his hands together nervously. "Come in, come in!!" He turned and knocked loudly on the door of the mansion. "Two ladies coming through!!"  
  
There was a pause before the large doors of the mansion opened up in front of them. The guard moved aside and motioned for Cloud and Aeris to go through into the mansion. The two 'girls' did and walked into the mansion, bowing gently to the guard politely as they went passed and into Don Corneo's mansion.  
  
The inside of the mansion was just as they expected it to be considering the kind of place it was. It was very elaborately decorated, with red carpets covering the floors and smooth wood on the stairs. There was a desk for people to make appointments on the ground floor, while upstairs there were the more 'private' rooms. There was one small door at the top of the stairs, while at the other end of the balcony there was a doorway with no door, probably leading down into some kind of wine cellar. The largest door was in the middle of the upper level, and was a set of double doors that were intricately patterned. No doubt that was the room of Don Corneo himself, and most likely contained his private chambers. As the two entered an assistant walked out of a back room behind the desk, and grinned as he saw Cloud and Aeris standing in front of him, waiting.  
  
"Hey, ladies," he said cheerfully and cunningly. Cloud and Aeris turned to him and walked up to the desk. The assistant looked at them for a moment, seeming satisfied. "I'll go and let the Don know you're here. Wait here. Don't go wandering around..."  
  
He turned and headed off into the back room, going to tell the 'Don' that there were two more ladies waiting to see him. Once he was out of view, Aeris turned to Cloud.  
  
"Now's our chance," she said to him. "Let's find Tifa."  
  
Cloud nodded, and together he and Aeris began to search the mansion for Tifa. The hall was the only room downstairs so they headed upstairs to search. The smaller room was locked, and there was no way they were going to enter Don Corneo's personal chamber, so that left only one place to search. Cloud led the way to the final doorway and headed down the old stone steps.  
  
The last room was not a wine cellar as he expected, but rather another 'private' room, and clearly for the use of those with their own personal tastes. Right in the centre of the room there was an altar of sorts, with handcuffs positioned in places where the wrists and ankles would go. Cloud felt a little sick as he saw it, for he was getting a better image of what Don Corneo was like, and he didn't like it at all.  
  
As he reached the bottom of the steps, he saw a figure at the other end of the room, standing with her back to him. It was Tifa. She turned and looked at Cloud, who stopped and looked back at her. Cloud then turned away and quickly ran back towards the stairs, slightly embarrassed to be near Tifa in the condition he was in, even though it was clear that Tifa did not recognise him as he was. Aeris then came down the stairs and saw the two separate from another. She glanced at Cloud, who had lowered his head to the ground in his awkwardness, and then looked at Tifa. She headed over to the woman.  
  
"...Tifa?" she asked, just to be sure. Tifa nodded and walked over to Aeris, who smiled gladly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Aeris. Cloud's told me a lot about you."  
  
Tifa tilted her head and looked at Aeris closely, puzzled. "...And you are?" she asked. She then blinked as she realised where she had seen Aeris before. "Hey, you're the one with Cloud in the park..."  
  
Aeris nodded. "Right, with Cloud."  
  
"Oh..." Tifa muttered quietly, and turned away from Aeris.  
  
"Don't worry," Aeris added quickly, shaking her head. "We just met. It's nothing."  
  
Tifa turned back sharply. "What do you mean, 'don't worry' ...about what?" she asked, obviously trying to be evasive to the point that Aeris was making. "No, don't misunderstand. Cloud and I grew up together. Nothing more."  
  
Aeris giggled joyfully, and Tifa again tilted her head, confused as to what Aeris found funny. "Poor Cloud," said Aeris through her humorous giggles. "Having to stand here and listen to both of us call him nothing." She turned knowingly and put her hands behind her back. "Right, Cloud?"  
  
Tifa turned to where Aeris was looking, and looked at what she saw was just another girl standing shyly at the other end of the room with her back to them. She stared as the 'girl' slowly turned her head to glance at them, before turning away again.  
  
"Embarrassed?" asked Aeris, still suppressing her giggles. "Come on, speak up!"  
  
Finally Cloud sighed and turned, walking with his head down and stopping in front of Tifa. The girl leaned over to look at his face more closely, for she just saw him as another girl. But as she looked into his face she could see his familiar features, and his glowing blue eyes. She immediately jumped back in complete surprise and amazement.  
  
"Cloud!?" she exclaimed loudly. She then began to speak fast in her desperation to get all her words out in one go. "Why are you dressed like that!? And what are you doing here!? Forget that, what happened to you after the fall!? Are you hurt!?"  
  
Cloud shook his head calmly, finally finding the courage to speak to Tifa. "Hey, give me a chance to answer," he said to her. He sighed. "I'm dressed like this... because there was no other way to get in here. I'm all right. Aeris helped me out."  
  
This caught Tifa's attention. "Oh, Aeris did..." she said, sounding sad and disappointed once more. Before she could say anything else, it was Cloud's turn to ask a question.  
  
"Tifa, explain," he asked her. "What are you doing in a place like this?"  
  
Tifa turned back and scratched her head nervously, feeling a little caught out. "Yeah, ummm..." she stammered, unsure of how to put her predicament to Cloud. She looked down so Cloud couldn't see her face, although he was sure she had gone red.  
  
"Ahem!!" Aeris coughed loudly. Cloud and Tifa both looked at her while she smiled. "I'll just plug my ears," she added. So she walked away from Cloud and Tifa and stopped at the other end of the room, where she placed her palms firmly over her ears so she could not hear anything, since she could sense that this was going to be a private conversation.  
  
Once she was out of earshot, Tifa smiled with relief. "...I'm glad you're okay," she said truthfully. Cloud smiled a little and nodded his head.  
  
"Thanks," he replied. "What happened?"  
  
Tifa nodded. "When we got back from the Number 5 reactor, there was this weird man," she explained to him. "So Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him."  
  
"That's when the Don's name popped up," Cloud presumed, feeling certain that Tifa meant it literally when she said Barret 'squeezed' some information out of the weird man prowling around Sector 7.  
  
"Right," said Tifa. "Don Corneo. Barret told me to leave the lech alone... But something's been bothering me."  
  
Cloud nodded. "I see. So you wanted to get the story straight from Corneo's mouth," he presumed, piecing together the rest of Tifa's story, which was self-explanatory.  
  
Tifa nodded, but she still looked a little concerned. "So I made it here, but now I'm in a bind," she told Cloud. She began to rub her hands together anxiously as she spoke. "Corneo is looking for a bride. Everyday he gets three girls, chooses one of them, and then... ...And, well..." She began to stutter nervously, not wanting to say it. She finally shook her head. "Anyway, I have to be the girl or I'm out for tonight."  
  
Aeris looked up. "Sorry..." she apologised. "But I overheard." In actual truth she had been listening to the conversation the whole time, turning and peeking occasionally while the two spoke, but she didn't want them to know that. She walked back to Cloud and Tifa. "If you know the three girls, then there's no problem, right?"  
  
"I guess so, but..." Tifa said hesitantly.  
  
"We have two here, right?"  
  
"No, Aeris!" Cloud exclaimed suddenly. Aeris looked at him. "I can't have you get involved." Aeris indignantly put her hands on her hips and glared at Cloud.  
  
"Oh?" she asked him shrewdly. "So it's all right for Tifa to be in danger?"  
  
That caught Cloud out. "No, I don't want Tifa in..." he stammered, scratching the back of his head nervously.  
  
Tifa looked at Aeris, trying to piece together what kind of person she was. Aeris looked quite delicate and feminine, but from the way she spoke and the things she said made Tifa think that there was more to Aeris than meets the eye. Even though she seemed open and trusting there was an air of mystery around her that Tifa could sense, but she seemed all right. She walked over to Aeris while Cloud struggled to find an answer to Aeris's remarks.  
  
"Is it all right?" she asked Aeris. She and Aeris both walked slowly towards the stairs and out of Cloud's earshot, to make their conversation a little more private. Tifa wanted Aeris's personal opinion.  
  
"I grew up in the slums..." said Aeris. "I'm used to danger." She turned to Tifa and looked at her closely. "Do you trust me?"  
  
"Yes," Tifa replied without any hesitation. "Thanks, Ms. Aeris."  
  
Aeris smiled. "Call me Aeris."  
  
Tifa smiled as well. Even though this was the first time she had ever met Aeris, she had seen enough of her to know that she could trust her. Cloud also seemed to trust her, even if he was a little hesitant to let her get involved in affairs that were of no concern to her. That didn't seem to stop Aeris at all, for she would have gone along even if Cloud and Tifa had told her to go home where she was safe.  
  
"He---y!!" came an angry voice from upstairs. Everyone in the cellar turned and looked at the top of the stairs to where Corneo's assistant was standing and glaring down at them. "It's time, ladies. The Don is waiting." He turned and began to walk off, muttering loudly. "I told you not to wander around... I tell ya, women nowadays... Hurry up, will ya!"  
  
Cloud walked up to Tifa and Aeris nervously. "I probably don't need to ask," he said. "But the other girl is... Me... right?"  
  
Tifa and Aeris both looked at each other with knowing smiles on their faces.  
  
Tifa nodded. "You're right, there was no need..."  
  
Aeris nodded. "...To ask."  
  
Cloud sagged heavily, already fearing the worst. It was all right for Tifa and Aeris to an extent – they were women and could easily extract the information they wanted from Corneo. He, on the other hand, was a man, and if Don Corneo chose him that night he would be put in a very difficult position. He tried to be more positive, thinking that with Tifa and Aeris both beside him there was only a one in three chance that Corneo would choose him.  
  
The three headed back upstairs and saw the assistant standing by the entrance to Don Corneo's chamber. He grinned slyly as they walked up, and pointed to the closed door.  
  
"The Don's waiting in his room..." the assistant said, his grin wide on his face. "Ha ha ha..." The door opened in front of them, and Cloud and the two girls walked into Don Corneo's chamber.  
  
The inside of Corneo's personal chamber was just as they had expected it to be. Expensive items lined the walls and the floor was lined in a thick red carpet. At the far end of the room there was a desk covered in papers, with two hired guards standing on either side. Like everyone else in the mansion the hired guards were merely punks, inhabitants of the slums who had luckily managed to get a job working for Corneo.  
  
Don Corneo himself was sat at his desk, sat back in his throne-like chair patiently as he waited for the three girls to enter. Just from looking at him it was possible to see why he had not yet found a decent bride. He was not very attractive, and clearly had a very high opinion of himself. He was bald and fat, with a long red robe covering his bulbous body, and a crown on his empty, shiny head. For the moment he had his eyes closed as though awaiting something.  
  
Cloud, Tifa and Aeris all entered the chamber nervously, unsure of what to expect. They looked around as they entered, wondering what they should do. They got their answer as Kotch, one of Corneo's hired slum guards who was also just a random punk pulled in from the streets, stepped forward and waved his hand to the three. As they looked at him he motioned to the rug in the middle of the room in front of the desk.  
  
"All right, ladies!" he said. He sounded excited himself as he looked the three over. "Line up in front of the Don!"  
  
The three did as they were told and lined up on the rug in front of Don, with Cloud standing in the middle and right in front of Don Corneo. Once they were all stood silent Don Corneo finally opened his eyes and gazed upon the three girls. All of a sudden he leaped up out of his chair and landed on his desk, his eyes bright and dancing as he looked the three over hungrily.  
  
"Hmmm! Good, splendid!" he said, his eyes darting from one to the other as he looked them over. He clambered over his desk and began to give the three a closer inspection. He first inspected Aeris, looking closely at her face and eyes, and Cloud could almost see his mind racing with ideas just from a first glance. "Now, let's see..." Corneo muttered to himself as he looked Aeris over. "Which girl should I choose? Hmm... hmm...!"  
  
He then walked over to Cloud and began to examine him more closely. As he leaned in for a closer look at Cloud's face Cloud quickly turned his head away a little, half-closing his eyes so Corneo could not see his glowing Mako eyes, for that would give the game away completely.  
  
"This one?" he wondered aloud. He blinked a little as Cloud turned his head away, but didn't seem to mind. He then went to Tifa and began to examine her closely. "Or this one?"  
  
Having examined all of the three 'girls', Corneo went back to Cloud, curious by Cloud's shyness. He leaned in to Cloud's face again, but Cloud quickly turned his head the other way to deny Corneo a closer look. Corneo tried to look at the other side, determined to get a look, but Cloud again turned his head away. It was comical to watch Cloud continuously turn his head again and again, trying to avoid Corneo's hungry glare. Finally Don Corneo jumped, his mind made up.  
  
"Whoo-hoo!" he cheered merrily. "I've made up my mind!! My choice for tonight it..." He paused for a moment to raise the suspense, before he held his arms open... to Cloud. "This healthy-looking girl!"  
  
Cloud stepped back, completely horrified. "Wa, wait a sec!" he protested, before he realised what he was doing. "I mean, uh, please wait a moment!"  
  
Corneo clapped his hands excitedly, pleased at Cloud's reaction. "Woo-hoo! I love chickies who play hard-to-get!" he said. "Yeowza!" He turned towards his two guards by his desk. "You can have the other ones!"  
  
Kotch and the other guard both saluted gladly at Corneo. "Yes, sir!" they cheered. "Thank you, sir!"  
  
Corneo grinned and looked back at Cloud, who was still petrified. "Well then, shall we go my pretty!?"  
  
Cloud turned his head and glanced at Aeris. Aeris looked back at him and nodded her head, but from the smile on her face it looked as though she was trying to stop herself from laughing. When Cloud turned his head and looked at Tifa he saw that she was trying hard not to laugh as well, but she also nodded her head to advise Cloud to go with Corneo. Cloud sighed heavily and began to follow Don Corneo towards his bedchamber at the back of the room, leaving Tifa and Aeris at the hungry hands of the guards. 


	14. Part 01: Chapter 14

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Fourteen**  
  
Corneo jumped excitedly at the top of his bed, looking thrilled to be with the company of what he thought was a beautiful blonde girl. He was rearing to go and seemed very keen on Cloud, not suspecting for a minute that the 'girl' he had chosen was actually a man.  
  
Cloud stood nervously at the far end of the room, as far away from the bed as possible and growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. He had never thought for one minute that Corneo would have chosen him for that night, and Cloud didn't know how to act. He knew he had to extract the required information from him, but there were only two ways he could do that. One would be to reveal himself and demand the information at sword point, but then he could call his guards and Cloud would be caught. Or he could do the more sickening idea – flatter Corneo and build up his ego, until he was ready to tell Cloud anything that he asked. Neither way was particularly inviting, but the second was the only option that would leave Cloud physically intact, even if his pride was not.  
  
"Ahh, we're finally alone..." Corneo said dreamily as he ogled Cloud from across the room. Cloud looked away from him, not wanting to meet his hungry gaze. "All right, pussycat... Come to daddy!!"  
  
Cloud turned pale with nausea and refused to look at Corneo. Corneo was sick, really sick, and made Cloud completely sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe Tifa and Aeris had forced him into this situation, and would like to kill them once this was all over.  
  
"Woo-hoo!" Corneo cheered again. He crawled over his bed to get a little closer to Cloud. "Don't be shy. We're all alone now..."  
  
Cloud still refused to look at Corneo, thinking that because they were alone was why he was nervous. Corneo was a very sick-minded person, and Cloud didn't feel very safe being in the same room as him. He tried to remind himself that he did have a job to do here, and whether he was going to get paid extra from Barret or Tifa or not, he still had to keep up the pretence. So he plucked up all of his courage and slowly walked round the side of the bed towards Corneo, trying to keep at a safe distance so Corneo couldn't grab him. Although Corneo was too smitten then to notice how Cloud was edging away from him.  
  
"You're so cute, I never get tired of looking at you," he said to Cloud. He leaned in a little closer. "Do you... like me, too?"  
  
It occurred to Cloud to say 'no', but he still remembered that he had to get information from him about what he had to do with the man in Sector 7. He didn't particularly want to flatter Corneo, but he could tell it was the only way to get information from him.  
  
"Of course!" Cloud replied, raising his voice a little so he sounded more feminine. He felt like a complete idiot having to do so, but the more information he could get from Corneo, the better. It seemed to work though, for the grin that spread on Corneo's face seemed to be very happy and excited.  
  
As Corneo grinned happily, Cloud felt increasingly uncomfortable. "You sure do know how to make a guy feel good!" Corneo exclaimed. He moved on the bed again, and leaned in even closer to Cloud, almost seeming nervous. "Then, wh... what do you want to DO?"  
  
Run was what Cloud wanted to do, or at least push Corneo away from him. He knew the perfect line that would really inflate Corneo's ego, but he didn't want to say it. He swallowed hard.  
  
"Whatever YOU want, daddy." He went pale as soon as he said it, feeling completely sick and humiliated. He wished he had his sword with him so he could just force the information from Corneo, but unfortunately Aeris had it right then from when he had changed.  
  
"Oh, man!" Corneo shouted. He jumped up on the bed, unable to contain his excitement and eagerness anymore. "I can't stand it! All right, then... Give me a kiss!! A KISS!!"  
  
Cloud shook his head. "Nope, can't do that..." he replied.  
  
Corneo fell onto the edge of the bed, staring at Cloud in dismay. "Why? WHY? WHY?" he asked.  
  
Slowly Cloud turned away, and took a few steps away from Corneo.  
  
"Because... Because I'm gonna have to use that mouth of yours to give me some information!!"  
  
With that Cloud jumped up and spun round, unable to stand Corneo's cheesy lines and advances any further, and he was not prepared to go any further than this. He pulled the dress off and threw it harshly onto the floor along with the cheesy blond wig, finally revealing his true identity. Corneo's eyes opened wide and he leaped back into the corner on his bed, finally realising that the 'girl' he had chosen was not really a girl, but rather a man.  
  
"A man!?" he shouted in horror. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Cloud angrily. "You tricked me!! Somebody get in here NOW!!"  
  
"Unfortunately, no one'll be comin' to help," came a female voice.  
  
Cloud and Corneo turned as the door to the bedroom opened and Tifa and Aeris both ran in, back in their normal outfits. Corneo's guards had taken them, but it was nothing to them to fight them off and come to help Cloud. Aeris was carrying Cloud's sword, and as they entered she and Tifa both threw it to Cloud. Cloud caught it easily and held it firmly in his hand. Corneo saw the length and width of the blade and shrunk back in his bed, looking from Cloud to the two girls, completely horrified and confused.  
  
"You're the ones from before!" he yelled, speaking to Aeris and Tifa. "Wh... What the hell's going on?"  
  
"Shut up!" Tifa ordered harshly. "We're asking the questions now..."  
  
She and her crew all gathered around the side of Corneo's bed, cornering him into the corner of his own bedchamber. Corneo flinched back and shrunk into the corner, afraid of the three who had trapped him. Tifa stood firmly with her hands on her hips, glaring at Corneo.  
  
"What did your assistants find out?" Tifa asked of Corneo, who shook his head. "Talk! If you don't tell us..." She glanced at Cloud.  
  
Cloud nodded and stepped up to the bed. Sinisterly he put on foot on the bed and rested his arm on his knee, looking at Corneo in such a way that made him feel very uncomfortable. Cloud then grinned slyly.  
  
"...I'll chop them off," he said, finishing Tifa's threat.  
  
Corneo stared and blinked for a moment, a little too dense to grasp what he meant. Then his jaw hung open, and his eyes fell onto Cloud's monstrously long sword with its razor sharp blade. He jumped up in fear, shaking his head vigorously.  
  
"No! Not that!" he pleaded fearfully.  
  
"So... talk," said Tifa.  
  
Corneo nearly shook his head again, but then remembered the length of Cloud's sword. He stuttered nervously as he spoke. "...I made 'em find out where the man with the gun-arm was," he stammered, his whole body shaking. "But that's what I was ordered to do."  
  
Tifa tilted her head. "By who?"  
  
"No--!" Corneo yelled, his face pale and shivering. "If I told you that, I'd be killed!"  
  
"Talk!" demanded Tifa. "If you don't tell us..." she glanced at Aeris, who did the same as Cloud and leaned forward menacingly on the end of Corneo's bed.  
  
"...I'll rip them off," Aeris finished.  
  
Again Corneo jumped back, feeling more afraid than ever. "Waaaaaaaaaaah--!" he wailed. He pressed himself against the wall in his desperation, but there was nowhere for him to go. "It was Heidegger of Shinra! Heidegger the head of Public Safety Maintenance!"  
  
"The head of Public Safety Maintenance!?" Cloud exclaimed.  
  
"Did you say the Shinra!?" Tifa roared, snarling at the name. She glowered at Corneo, her brown eyes raging. "What are the up to!? Talk! If you don't tell us..." She joined Cloud and Aeris in their dominating stance on the bed, and grinned evilly. "...I'll smash them."  
  
Don Corneo swallowed hard and looked into the determined faces of the three standing in front of him. Their expressions were set and steady, without a single flicker of humour or doubt in them. He could tell that they meant every word of their threats.  
  
"...You're serious, aren't you..." he said. The expressions of the three didn't change, and Corneo struggled to swallow the lump in his throat. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy..." He took a deep breath and looked up at the three. "I'm not fooling around here either, you know," he added. "Shinra's trying to crush a small rebel group called AVALANCHE and want to infiltrate their hideout. And they're going to crush them... literally. By breaking the support holding up the plate above them."  
  
Tifa jerked violently. "Break the support!?" she cried.  
  
"You know what's going to happen?" asked Corneo, relaxing a little. "The plate'll go PING and everything's gonna go BAMM!! I heard their hideout's in the Sector 7 slums... I'm just glad it's not here in Sector 6."  
  
Tifa stepped back away from the bed, one hand over her mouth in shock as she found herself unable to believe what she was hearing. She knew that Shinra was ruthless – they had let another of their reactors explode just to get rid of AVALANCHE, but she never thought for one moment that they would go even further and kill dozens of people, just to get rid of them. And it wasn't just the people in the slums who would be killed – it would be the people on top of the plate as well. So many people would die at Shinra's hands. Tifa shook her head in disbelief.  
  
"They're going to wipe out the Sector 7 slums!?" she exclaimed. She turned to Cloud, her face desperate. "Cloud, will you come with me to Sector 7?"  
  
Cloud nodded. "Of course, Tifa."  
  
Tifa smiled with relief. She looked at Aeris, who also nodded. The three then headed for the door to head for Sector 7, but as they began to leave Corneo jumped up on his bed.  
  
"Just a second!" he called.  
  
Cloud stopped and turned back to him. "Shut up!"  
  
"No, wait, it'll only take a second," Corneo insisted.  
  
Cloud looked at Aeris and Tifa. He then sighed and looked back at Corneo, his hands on his hips as he waited for Corneo's next lame speech.  
  
"How do you think scum like me feels when they babble on about the truth?" Corneo asked.  
  
Cloud tilted his head at the question. "They're pretty much given up on life," he replied.  
  
Corneo grinned. "Buzzzzz! Wrong!" he shouted.  
  
He reached out and pulled on a lever propped up beside his bed. As he did a large hatch suddenly opened up in the floor beneath Cloud's feet, revealing a gaping hole in the floor. With nothing holding him up he fell down into the darkness, quickly followed by Aeris and Tifa, who screamed as they fell.  
  
Once they had disappeared, Corneo stood up on his bed and began to dance to himself, celebrating his victory over them.

* * *

Up in Shinra Headquarters, Heidegger, the head of Public Safety Maintenance, was busy making his way leisurely towards the President's office at the top of the building. He was fairly large but strong and not flabby, and was dressed in a smart green suit. His face was large and rough, with a thick beard and heavy eyebrows. He had a cold and cruel expression on his face, giving the impression that he, like many of the people who worked for Shinra, was not a particularly caring person.  
  
As he walked into President Shinra's office, he saw the president sat behind his large desk at the far end of the room, waiting patiently for Heidegger to arrive. At the other end of the desk and looking edgy was Reeve, another Shinra employee. Reeve was different to Heidegger in that he had a less cruel expression, and looked uncomfortably and nervous, although Heidegger ignored this.  
  
"How are the preparations going?" President Shinra asked as Heidegger walked into the office and towards the desk.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha!!" Heidegger laughed, his voice deep and coarse. "Smoothly, very smoothly! I assigned the Turks to this."  
  
"President!" Reeve exclaimed, looking at the President with a flash of anxiety. President Shinra looked back at him. "Are we really going to do this? Simply destroy a group with only a few members?"  
  
President Shinra narrowed his eyes. "What's the problem, Reeve? You want out?" He got up out of his chair and began to walk round towards Reeve and Heidegger. Reeve turned away from the desk, seeming hesitant.  
  
"...No," he answered finally. He looked up. "But, as head of the Urban Development Department, I have been involved in the building and running of Midgar. That's why..."  
  
"Reeve, you should flush those personal problems in the morning!" Heidegger advised him sarcastically. Reeve turned and glared at Heidegger, clearly disliking him.  
  
"The Mayor's against this anyway..." Reeve added pitifully.  
  
In response Heidegger turned away and shrugged. "Mayor?" he repeated, his voice filled with disgust. "He just sits in this building all day feeding his face! You call that a Mayor?" He turned and saluted President Shinra. "Now if you'll excuse me sir!"  
  
Heidegger then turned away and laughed as he walked out of the office. Reeve began to run after him in protest, but stopped as Heidegger disappeared out of the door. He stared blankly for a few moments, until President Shinra walked up to him.  
  
"You're tired," the president said to him. "Why don't you take a couple of days off and go somewhere?"  
  
Reeve looked at the President in surprise and blinked. The president looked back at him with a stern and steady expression. Then, seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere arguing with the President, he walked out, leaving the president alone in his office. President Shinra walked forward.  
  
"We'll destroy Sector 7 and report that AVALANCHE did it. Then we'll send in the rescue operation care of Shinra Inc... Heh, heh, heh. ...This is perfect."

* * *

Deep in the sewers that ran beneath Midgar, a hatch opened up in the ceiling. Moments later Cloud, Tifa and Aeris appeared and fell down towards the sewer, landing with heavy thuds on the damp concrete ground.  
  
Cloud groaned as a sharp pain ran up his back, coming from where his sword had landed on him after the fall. He could hear the sound of running water in the background, as well as feel small traces of it beneath him and running through his hands. When he opened his eyes he saw Tifa lying near him, her back to him as she lay still for a few moments. Cloud slowly climbed to his feet, his sword falling to the ground behind him as it rolled off his back, and crawled to Tifa.  
  
"You all right?" he asked her.  
  
The young woman blinked and turned her head to look up at him. She gladly took Cloud's hand as he offered it to her, and Cloud pulled her up to her feet. Once she was standing she began to brush off all the damp dirt that had stuck to her skin and clothes.  
  
"Man! This is terrible!" she exclaimed, and ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
Aeris was also on the ground a few metres away after she had rolled across the ground, and Cloud went to her. He slipped one hand under her head and helped her to sit up.  
  
"You all right?" he asked.  
  
Slowly Aeris nodded. "Yeah," she replied, standing up and also brushing herself off. Her staff was lying on the ground beside her, and she picked it up and began to remove the gunk that had fallen on it. "Well, the worst is over..." she said.  
  
As she spoke a loud roar echoed through the tunnel, and the ground shook.  
  
Aeris shrugged. "Maybe not..." she added.  
  
Another loud roar rang throughout the sewer, reverberating off the walls around them. Soon there came the sound of heavy footsteps followed by the sound of something dragging heavily across the floor. With each step the sounds became louder, and the ground shook more violently as they grew closer. The group of three looked to the corner head of them, which turned off into another sewer tunnel. As they watched something began to emerge from the corner, climbing up over the rails and across the walls towards them.  
  
It was a sewer monster – another monster that had been born and grown in the sewers of Midgar. It was incredibly large and heavy with sickly green- blue skin that was patterned with many other colours that were probably caused by mutation. The Mako that leaked from the reactors had probably caused this mutation, and also corrupted the rest of the monster. Its arms were large and bulky, and so long that they dragged across the floor when it walked, hence the shuffling sounds. Its body was almost square shaped, with its muscles flat but bulky. Its head was also roughly square shaped, with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth that were disgustingly yellow from years of neglect. As it crawled around the corner it jumped down from the path and into the tunnel groove where Cloud, Tifa and Aeris stood, with their weapons at the ready for battle.  
  
"Ugh!" Tifa groaned, curling her lip in disgust. "What is that thing?"  
  
Cloud raised his sword. "It doesn't matter," he said. "We need to get to Sector 7. Let's kill it."  
  
Tifa and Aeris both looked at him, before slowly nodding their heads and raising their own weapons in preparation for battle.  
  
The beast in front of them roared loudly, beating its large arms against its chest. It then began to walk forward towards them. It had very poor eyesight that was its only weakness, but it had very good hearing and used the sound of their heartbeats in order to guide in the direction of the group. Cloud began the attack first and ran towards the beast.  
  
As Cloud began to attack the monster, Tifa turned to Aeris. She pulled out one green ball of materia that was attached to her gauntlet and passed it to her – the Ice Materia that Barret had previously had. Aeris took it gladly and placed it in a materia slot on the side of her staff. They then turned to the monster and ran in to join Cloud in his fight.  
  
At that particular moment Cloud was pressed against the wall of the tunnel with the monster looming over him, with his sword raised in front of him to impale the monster if it tried to attack him. The monster stepped forward on its large flat feet towards him, towering above Cloud by a good few feet. He looked down at Cloud through his narrow eyes, twitching his ears and focusing on the faint sounds Cloud didn't even know he was making.  
  
The giant beast reached out and swung out with one of its giant arms. Cloud hurriedly dodged out of the way, jumping to his right and rolling to the ground on the other side of the monster. The monster's fist slammed into the concrete wall of the tunnel with such force that the wall broke and shattered, sending large chunks of old concrete flying into the tunnel.  
  
Cloud looked up just in time to see a large piece of broken rock falling towards him. He quickly rolled out of the way just as the rock crashed onto the floor where he had been lying a second before, and smaller rocks fell around him. The sound of Aeris's scream then caught his ears, and he looked up.  
  
Aeris and Tifa were both on the other side of the beast, who was now facing them now his attention was shifted to their movements. Tifa ran forward to the monster and began to punch it hard with her fists – a series of powerful punches enhanced by the firmness of her gloves. The monster took a step back before swinging his arm again to hit her, but Tifa was very swift and managed to jump back just in time, avoiding the blow.  
  
Then it was Aeris's turn to attack. She held her staff out in front of her, and the green ball of materia inserted in one of the handles began to glow and shimmer brightly. Aeris then released her hold on the staff, and it magically floated in the air in front of her. The woman then raised her arms above her, and glow of the materia intensified. A flash of white appeared in their air around the monster, and a thin blanket of ice began to form around it. For a second or two the monster froze, encased in the ice. Eventually the ice began to crack and burst apart, releasing the monster once more.  
  
The monster looked down and shook its body thoroughly, removing the last of the ice shards from its body. It then glared at Aeris, catching her movements as she took hold of her staff again. He bared his teeth and swiped his fist at her. He missed Aeris purely by a mere centimetre as she jumped back, where she fell against the wall and onto the dirty floor of the sewer.  
  
She looked up to see the monster towering over her with a large boulder of concrete in its hands, which it had pulled from the broken wall. The monster threw the boulder down at her, and Aeris quickly scrambled to her feet and out of the way. The boulder smashed into the wall and caused the tunnel to shake violently, making Aeris fall to the floor once again.  
  
The monster lifted his head high and roared angrily, infuriated with the way he kept missing his targets. He hit his chest hard with his fists before rolling them angrily around his head in a circular motion towards Aeris and Tifa, who stared back blankly. Cloud stared as well. He then looked up as a faint sound came from behind him, and he slowly turned his head to look behind him. He then opened his eyes wide.  
  
A wall of water was beginning to rise up behind him, formed from the sewer water that had previously been lying dormant and untouched. The monster, being a creature that lived in the sewers, was causing the water to rise up into a large tsunami behind them. It rose taller and taller, ready to drop down at any moment.  
  
"Tifa! Aeris!" Cloud called over the monster. "Get out of the way! Tsunami!"  
  
He dashed to the side of the tunnel and jumped up, grabbing the edge of the path above, where he quickly pulled himself up and out of the way. He made it only just in time, for as he reached the top the tsunami toppled over and tumbled into the tunnel, heading straight for the monster, as well as Tifa and Aeris. Tifa grabbed hold of Aeris as she sat up and pulled her roughly towards a large groove in the wall beside them.  
  
The water slammed down and began to sweep into the tunnel, thick and fast, towards the monster as it stood in the middle of the tunnel, roaring loudly. The water hit it from behind and smothered it completely.  
  
Tifa and Aeris watched fearfully from their groove in the wall as the water flowed past them, sending sprays through the air that fell on them and soaked their hair. For a moment they could only see the dirty green-blue water, but as they watched another flash of darker green-blue zipped past them.  
  
The wall of water flowing past them suddenly broke as the sewer beast's hand burst through and grabbed hold of the edge of the groove, desperately trying to hold on. Moments later another hand burst through and grabbed hold of the wall as well, and Aeris screamed. She screamed again as the monster's head then appeared, teeth bared, ready to swipe them.  
  
Tifa quickly stood up and walked to the monster as it reached for them. She looked at the monster's ugly face, before jumping up and kicking it hard in the face.  
  
The kick was enough to make the monster lose his grip. His hands slipped from the wall and disappeared into the water once more, vanishing forever.  
  
When the flow of water subsided Tifa and Aeris clambered out of their hideaway, and Cloud jumped down from the path and back into the tunnel. The monster had gone, destroyed in its own water flow. The water level was now back to normal, if not a little dirtier than before, but at least the three were safe.  
  
Tifa didn't seem to enthusiastic however. "It's too late..." she said, her voice quiet. "Marlene... Barret... the people of the Slums."  
  
"Don't give up hope," Aeris told her sternly, taking her hand in her own. "Never give up hope. It's not easy to destroy the pillar, right?"  
  
"......Yeah......" Tifa muttered. She thought for a moment, before she lifted her head with a smile on her face. "You're right! We still have time."  
  
With that the group turned and began to head off into the maze of sewers that an beneath Midgar, praying with each step that they would make it in time before the plate fell and killed everyone in Sector 7, including Barret, Marlene and the rest of AVALANCHE. 


	15. Part 01: Chapter 15

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Fifteen**  
  
Cloud finally managed to push the old, heavy sewer lid out of the way and climbed out of the sewer, relieved to get out of the dark and dreary sewers and back into the slums. The air was not much better, but it was better than the sickening smell that ran through the sewers. Once he was out he turned to the hole and helped Aeris climb out, and then they both helped Tifa out. Once all three of them were out of the sewers and had finished brushing the damp dirt from their clothing, they looked around at where they had come out.  
  
They were standing in what looked like a large train yard, for they were surrounded on all sides by many old and abandoned trains. The trains had just been dumped anywhere on the ground and left there, and many were now broken and wrecked, savaged by punks desperate for food or just a place to sleep. It was a barren, empty place, and was like a graveyard for trains. However it was a good sign, because the Train Graveyard was directly next to Sector 7, which meant they were very close to the slums, and the plate had not fallen yet.  
  
"Aeris," Cloud said suddenly, and Aeris turned to look at him. Cloud was looking down at the floor, refusing to meet her gaze. "I got you mixed up in all of this..."  
  
Aeris quickly shook her head. "Don't tell me to go home," she told him.  
  
Cloud slowly raised his head and looked at Aeris's face, finally meeting her gaze. He barely knew her, just as she barely knew him, but she had willingly risked her life for them many times already, and still refused to go home. He knew there was no use arguing with her now. Like Elmyra had said, once Aeris had made up her mind, she wouldn't change it. Aeris smiled as she realised that Cloud understood that, and walked past him towards Tifa.  
  
Tifa had walked away from them while they were talking, and had climbed up onto the top of a nearby train via a ladder, and was looking around at the rest of the graveyard, trying to find her bearings.  
  
"Let's see..." she mumbled quietly to herself. She turned around to look the other way, and stretched up to see over the rest of the trains. She then pointed ahead of her. "If we can just get past the trains that are lit up, we should be able to get out of here."  
  
She jumped down from the train and back beside Cloud and Aeris who were waiting for her below. The three then began to walk through the wreckage that was scattered around them, heading north to where they hoped the rest of Sector 7 was. They had to hurry because they had very limited time. At any moment Shinra could succeed in its plans to bring down the plate that was suspended in the air above them, and everyone in the slums and on top of the plate would die.  
  
The trains that were lying on the old broken rails had been abandoned for a very long time. When Midgar had first been built and they were in use, they were probably very fashionable, very streamlined trains. Now however, after years of neglect, they were very rusty and fragile. Dark copper rust had formed over the doors and wheels and even on the old rails where they had been pushed out of the way. There was almost no chance of finding a train that would move, so when the group came to a blockage in their path they had to climb up onto the roof of the train and down onto the other side.  
  
Some of the trains still had some form of power though, for in some of the trains the lights were still turned on inside, albeit flickering and faint as they strained to stay alive amongst the rest of the graveyard. It was a spooky and desolate place, and the three wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, not only to save Sector 7 but also leave the creepy graveyard of trains behind them.  
  
The group clambered over what they hoped would be the last train in the desolate graveyard, and were extremely relieved to see that it was. As they emerged from the roof of the last train they saw the Sector 7 train station, just as they had left it. The single train was resting quietly by the platform, with the single Shinra guard in front of it, waiting for the next load of passengers. It all seemed very quiet and calm in the sector – clearly no one had any idea of what was about to happen. Cloud, Aeris and Tifa wasted no time in running out of the graveyard and towards the slums.  
  
As they ran out of the train station and into the clearing between the station and the slums, they saw that things were more unsettled than they had first thought. In the middle of the clearing was the large stone pillar that rose up right beneath the plate to hold it up and prevent it from falling, sealed off by a large metal fence to prevent anyone from entering. The gate leading into the pillar sector had now been forced open, blown from its hinges by guns. Many people from the slums had gathered around the pillar, looking in and chattering loudly amongst the stairs as they looked up the stairs that wound their way up at the side of the pillar.  
  
"We made it!" Tifa exclaimed gladly, running into the clearing. "The pillar's still standing!"  
  
"Wait!" Cloud said suddenly, interrupting Tifa's excitement. Tifa looked at him as he tilted his head, listening hard. "You hear something... above us?"  
  
Tifa put a hand behind her ear and looked up to hear what Cloud was hearing. She could hear a faint sound coming from above them. It was a repetitive sound – a sound she recognised only too well, for she had heard it often enough from Barret.  
  
"...Gunfire?" guessed Aeris.  
  
One by one the three all looked up above them towards the pillar. As their gazes slowly rose up the stairs, they saw many flashes of light and more sounds of gunfire coming from all corners of the pillar – a fierce battle was raging around the pillar. Gunfire and counter-fire were being shot as the battle to save the pillar raged, rising all the way up to the top where the main platform was.  
  
As the group looked up, they could see a number of moving figures on the top platform. One fairly small figure was slowly backing off towards the edge of the platform, being forced back by more people with guns. He reached the end of the platform and stopped, with nowhere else to go. A gun suddenly fired and the man fell off the end of the platform, and began to tumble down towards the ground.  
  
He landed with a loud and heavy thud on the ground in the middle of Cloud, Tifa and Aeris as they stood staring. Everyone moved away from the pillar and gathered around him to see if he was okay, and Tifa screamed in horror as she saw the man who had fallen.  
  
It was Wedge.  
  
"Wedge!" Cloud yelled. "You all right!" He ran to Wedge's side and kneeled. Wedge was very badly hurt. There were bullet wounds in his side where bullets had skimmed past him, and he was twisted round from his fall. He seemed to react to the sound of Cloud's voice, and slowly opened his eyes to look at him, although his vision was blurred and failing.  
  
"......Cloud......" he whispered, gasping harshly as pain shot up his back. A small smile spread on his pain-stricken face, relieved to see Cloud was alive. "You remembered...... my name. Barret's up top... help him... An' Cloud... Sorry I wasn't any help."  
  
The pain then became too much for him, and he closed his eyes and passed out. Cloud looked down at Wedge, a look of sympathy across his face. He had spoken very little to Wedge, and any words he did say were short and harsh. Yet to see Wedge lying there after fighting to save the pillar, struck a strong nerve within Cloud, for he was really just an innocent caught up in something much stronger than himself. He shook his head vigorously and stood up harshly, looking at the pillar.  
  
"I'm going up!" he announced. Tifa stood up determined beside him. Cloud quickly turned to Aeris. "Aeris! You look after Wedge."  
  
Aeris looked as though she was going to protest, but then stopped and nodded her head. Tifa ran over to her and grabbed Aeris's hand firmly in her own.  
  
"Aeris, do me a favour," she pleaded with the young woman. Aeris looked at her. "I have a bar called '7th Heaven' in this neighbourhood. There's a little girl named Marlene there..."  
  
Aeris nodded, understanding. "Don't worry," she assured the woman. "I'll put her somewhere safe."  
  
A relieved smile spread across Tifa's face and she clutched tightly onto Aeris's hand in a firm, friendly grip. Aeris smiled back at her – a smile filled with confidence and self-assurance. She slipped the ball of Ice Materia into Tifa's hands, feeling she would need it. Tifa then released the girl's hand and quickly turned to the spectators standing around her.  
  
"It's dangerous here!" she shouted to everyone so they could hear her. "Everyone get away from the pillar, quickly! Everyone get out of Sector 7!"  
  
For a moment or two the people around her just stared blankly as they comprehended what Tifa was trying to say. The words hit home just a few seconds later and the people scattered, running around in all directions in their desperation and confusion. Some people ran back into the slums, while others ran for the train station. Some people just ran back to the pillar, ready to wait for the end as they looked up at the battle raging above them. Aeris just knelt back down beside Wedge, checking him over to see if he was going to be all right.  
  
Cloud and Tifa ran through the open gate and onto the stairs leading up the along the side of the pillar. The metal beneath their feet was shaking as they ran, vibrating from the many bullets that were being powered into the metal above them. The control system for the pillar was at the very top, so they had no choice but to run round and round towards the top, running as fast as they could.  
  
As they ran round the first corner they came to a stop as they saw a figure lying slumped across the rail of the stairs, badly wounded from bullets that had hit him hard in his chest and stomach. Tifa cried out in dismay, for the person lying there was Biggs.  
  
Cloud ran to Wedge and carefully pulled him away from the rail, holding him carefully in his arms. Biggs was still conscious but quickly fading, trembling slightly as he looked up at Cloud's face. His own face was pale and shaking, losing the battle that he was fighting.  
  
"Cloud..." he gasped, his voice grated and sore. "So you don't care... what happens... to the... Planet?"  
  
"You're wounded......" Cloud said, looking at Biggs's fatal wounds. Tifa knelt beside him and picked up Biggs's fallen bandana from the floor, beginning to tie up one of the wounds, even though it was a pointless effort.  
  
Biggs smiled a little, just as Wedge had done. "Thanks, Cloud..." he said, his voice almost a whisper as he breathed deeply with each speech. "Don't worry 'bout me... Barret's... fighting up there. Go help him..."  
  
Cloud nodded, and carefully propped Biggs up against the rail, positioning him so he could still sit up and fight with his gun if he needed to. Tifa gently wiped Biggs's face a little, tears in her eyes to see another of her friends hurt like this. Biggs didn't say anything else and just smiled a little, before wincing in pain. Tifa eventually stood up and began to run after Cloud up the pillar, praying with all her heart that the rest of AVALANCHE was all right.  
  
Sadly, she did not get her wish, for further up the pillar towards the top they encountered the last minor member of AVALANCHE, lying wounded and abandoned on the floor. Jessie was trying her hardest to climb back to her feet, but the pain from her wounds quickly overcame her and she collapsed back onto the ground, just as Cloud and Tifa ran to her.  
  
"...Cloud..." the girl whispered as she spotted Cloud kneeling beside her. She looked relieved to see him. "I'm glad... I could talk with you... one last time."  
  
Cloud shook his head. "Don't say 'last'."  
  
Jessie lifted her head a little, but a wave of nausea and dizziness swept over her and she was forced to lie back down. As with the other AVALANCHE members she managed a gentle smile – a smile that revealed her courage and lack of fear.  
  
"That's... all right..." she breathed softly. "Because... of our actions... many... people died... this probably... is our punishment..."  
  
Another wave of dizziness swept over her and she passed out, falling limp in Cloud's arms. This time a tear ran down Tifa's face, unable to bear the suffering of her friends any longer. She jumped to her feet and began to charge up the last set of stairs towards the platform where the gunfire was at its loudest. Cloud waited a moment as he laid Jessie's head down onto the metal path, before he followed Tifa.  
  
They reached the top of the stairs at last, their legs burning, just in time to see the battle that was raging there. The control panel was built in the centre, with two Shinra soldiers lying dead around it. The pillar itself was still rising past them nearby, up towards the bottom side of the pillar.  
  
Barret was standing at the far end of the platform with his gun-arm raised and pointing at the air. He ignored Tifa and Cloud at first as they ran onto the platform, for he was busy firing away at the air. He turned sharply as he heard the sound of clattering feet behind him, and pointed his gun at Tifa and Cloud. A look of relief crossed his face as he saw the two, although it only lasted for a split second before it grew stern once again.  
  
"Tifa! Cloud!" he called to them. "You came! Be careful! They're attacking from the helicopter."  
  
Tifa nodded firmly. "Better equip ourselves before they attack in full force!"  
  
With that she grabbed the ball of green Materia that Aeris had given back to her, and threw it back to Barret, who quickly slipped it home in his gun- arm materia slots. Just as he finished slotting it in the sound of fast- spinning blades came from above them.  
  
"Here they come!" Tifa called, clenching her fists ready.  
  
The three looked up above them, and saw a Shinra helicopter flying towards them at a rapid speed. Barret raised his gun-arm and began to fire once more at the chopper, trying to bring it down before it got too close. His bullets struck the metal blades and frame of the helicopter but did little damage, and the helicopter swerved towards them.  
  
As the helicopter approached a door slid open in the side. Cloud gasped in anger as he saw Reno standing in the doorway – the same Reno who had tried to capture Aeris in the Sector 5 church. Reno waited for a second as the helicopter steadied itself over the platform before he jumped down towards them. As he landed Barret turned and began to fire at him, but Reno was swift and quick and was by the control panel in a second, his hand hovering over the controls. Barret ran over and quickly took aim once again.  
  
"You're too late," he sneered. "Once I push this button..."  
  
Barret stepped forward quickly to stop Reno, but he was far too late. Reno pushed down on the large red button on the control panel, and a number of flashing lights lit up on the panel. He looked up at the group and grinned.  
  
"That's all, folks!" he announced. "Mission accomplished."  
  
"We have to disarm it!" Tifa cried, turning to Barret and Cloud. "Cloud! Barret! Please!"  
  
Reno turned to her, a frown replacing his grin. "I can't have you do that," he said. "No one gets in the way of Reno and the Turks..."  
  
The Turk then reached for a long black pole tied to his waist and pulled it out. It looked like just a black pole that could hardly do much damage, which seemed as quite a surprise considering Reno was supposed to be an expert assassin. As he pulled it out he held it out in front of him, a sly smile on his face. He signalled for them to attack.  
  
Barret fell right into the trap. He ran forward with his good arm raised to hit Reno hard and end it quickly. As he approached Reno swiftly stepped out of the way, letting Barret run past. Barret skidded to a stop and turned sharply, beginning to charge at Reno again. Reno stepped aside again, but this time he raised his pole and jabbed it hard into Barret's waist.  
  
A bright wave of white light flashed through the air and Barret was lifted from the ground. He was thrown across the platform, and Cloud and Tifa managed to dodge just in time as Barret sailed past them and crashed to the floor at the end of the platform, skidding across the metal before coming to a stop beside the rail. He lay stunned on the floor, staring up at the plate above him.  
  
The black rod in Reno's hand crackled intensely, while Reno smiled smugly as he turned his gaze towards Cloud and Tifa. His weapon was an electric rod, and a powerful one. Barret slowly sat up, his body shaking slightly from the electric charges running through his body.  
  
"Shocking, isn't it?" Reno asked teasingly, twirling the rod round in his hands. "Never rush in without knowing what you're up against. That's a lesson you should not forget."  
  
Cloud and Tifa looked over at Barret as he stood up, still slightly dazed. A small beeping noise began to sound around them, and Reno glanced down at his watch.  
  
"It's time," he said. He nodded his head towards them and then turned. He ran forward, brushing past Tifa harshly as he dashed for the end of the platform, where he climbed up and jumped off.  
  
As Tifa recovered from the collision, she turned and quickly ran towards the control panel, beginning to type furiously into it.  
  
"Cloud!" she shouted suddenly, turning her head sharply to Cloud. "I don't know how to stop this. Try it!"  
  
Cloud ran over to her and looked down at the console in front of him. Now that the main button had been pressed a number of lights and switches had activated and were flashing. He stared at it, before he finally shook his head.  
  
"...It's not a normal time bomb," he said plainly.  
  
The sound of helicopter blades caught their attention, and the group looked up towards the end of the platform where Reno had jumped. The helicopter then rose up from beneath them and hovered just above the platform. The door then opened and a man stepped out and looked down at them. He was Tseng, the leader of the Turks. He was dressed in a smart blue suit like Reno was, and had a head of long black hair that had been neatly brushed back out of the way. He had a cold and callous expression that also held a sense of satisfaction as he looked at the group in front of him.  
  
"That's right," he said to them. "You'll have a hard time disarming that one. It'll blow the second some stupid jerk touches it."  
  
"Please, stop it!" Tifa pleaded desperately, her mind focused on all the people in the slums below who were still unaware of the dangers awaiting them.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha..." Tseng laughed. "Only a Shinra Executive can set up and disarm the Emergency Plate Release System."  
  
"Shut yer hole!" Barret shouted angrily. He raised his gun-arm and began to fire at the helicopter, attempting to knock Tseng from his perch and make him fall to his death.  
  
Tseng just looked down at Barret, his face calm. "I wouldn't try that..." he warned Barret sternly. "You just might make me injure our special guest."  
  
He turned his head and looked at a small, meek figure that was kneeling shamefully on the floor beside him. Cloud and Tifa stared as the young figure raised her head and looked back at them dolefully. The two gasped.  
  
"Aeris!!" Tifa cried.  
  
Tseng blinked. "Oh, you know each other?" he asked, looking at Tifa and then at Aeris. "How nice you could see each other one last time. You should thank me."  
  
"What are you gonna do with Aeris!?" Cloud demanded.  
  
The Turk leader shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "I haven't decided," he admitted. He looked at Aeris again. "Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the President."  
  
Aeris leaned over the edge of the helicopter and called out to them. "Tifa, don't worry! She's all right!"  
  
Angrily Tseng grabbed Aeris roughly by her shoulder and gave her a harsh slap across the side of her face. Aeris fell to the floor beside him, cradling her cheek. Tifa ran to the edge of the platform and reached up for Aeris desperately.  
  
"Aeris!"  
  
Aeris climbed to her knees and leaned over again, her cheek red and sore. "Hurry and get out!" she pleaded with them.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha..." Tseng laughed, amused by their desperate pleas. "Well, it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?"  
  
The helicopter blades whirred faster and began to lift the helicopter up into the air. Tifa reached up as far as she could as it rose away from her, carrying Aeris with it. The chopper reached the top of the sector and turned, beginning to fly away from them at a rapid speed.  
  
As it flew away, a small explosion occurred from within the pillar nearby. It shook violently, and large chunks of rock began to break away from the pillar and tumble down towards the sector below. The platform shook beneath their feet as small pieces of rock began to fall around them like rain – the pillar was breaking apart and that meant that at any moment the plate would fall down.  
  
"Once that Plate starts coming down it'll be too late," said Tifa. "We gotta hurry!"  
  
She and Cloud looked around desperately. There was too little time for them to run back down the stairs and leave the sector – the Plate would surely fall before they could even reach the bottom. Barret looked around the perimeter of the platform, and his eyes fell on a long cable attached to the rail. It looked as though it was attached to the Plate ahead of them, and seemed sturdy enough.  
  
"Yo, we can use this wire to get out!" he said.  
  
Tifa and Cloud looked over to see Barret run to the rail, where he climbed up and unhooked the cable. He signalled for Tifa and Barret to come over, and they did so. Tifa climbed onto the rail and held onto Barret tightly. Cloud climbed up on the other side and held firmly onto the cable. The three looked at each other and nodded, before they jumped down and began to swing away from the pillar.  
  
The moment they left the platform the pillar exploded, shattering into a million pieces. Up on the ground above the people walking around stopped in surprise as the ground beneath their feet suddenly jerked violently, a loud creaking noise reverberating around them.  
  
At the edges where the Plate joined to the rest of Midgar, the large metal hinges that helped to hold it up suddenly disconnected, and the Plate tilted harshly to one side. The people on the Plate screamed loudly as the fell to the side, their balance lost. Then the hinges on the other side gave away, and the Plate began to topple down towards the slums below.  
  
It was only at the last moment that the people in the slums realised what was happening. Those in their houses only realised something was wrong as the newsreaders on their screens looked up in horror and screamed before their signal was lost.  
  
On the streets people looked up in horror as they saw the large dark metal Plate falling towards them. The stared and stared and then began to run, although by then it was far too late for them to escape.  
  
On the cable Cloud, Tifa and Barret continued to swing away from the sector. The cable jerked violently as the Plate began to come down, but it remained firm as they swung towards the large doors leading out of the sector. They passed through it rapidly, just moments before the Plate crashed down onto the ground behind them.  
  
The ground shook ferociously as the Plate finally landed, and the sound of the crash was so loud it echoed all the way through the rest of Midgar. It was as though a meteor had suddenly hit, and clouds of smoke and pieces of metal flew through the open door leading out of the sector and tore through the park of Sector 6.  
  
The only place that did not hear the full horror of the tragedy was the Shinra HQ. At that very moment President Shinra was standing in his office looking out of the large windows at Sector 7. From where he was he could see the large gap where the Plate had fallen, and could still see the Plate as it crashed to the ground and large flashes of red began to rise up around it as fires broke out. He stared blankly at the devastation before him, not even a look of concern crossing his face. 


	16. Part 01: Chapter 16

**

* * *

Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
**  
Eventually the dust began to settle in the Sector 6 Park, and a deadly silence fell upon the area. All the dirt that had covered the ground had been blown up and now was spread across the floor. Debris was scattered everywhere, and some had smashed their way through some of the park toys as they landed. The swings had been torn from their hinges and, and the slide had a large hole in it where one chunk of metal landed and had ripped through the slide as though it were just paper.  
  
The doors that led into Sector 7 had been burst apart as the Plate landed on the sector, with the broken doors lying dented and shattered at the sides. Now what was visible through the door was the broken Plate along with other crushed pieces of metal. Parts of the metal were a deep red- orange colour as fires burned deep within them, slowly beginning to burn through. The only sounds coming from the sector were slow, deep creaks coming from the Plate as it settled into place in its new home. There were no sounds of life coming from the sector, and no movements of people beyond. It was impossible to see through the wreckage, not that there was anything left to see.  
  
The only survivors from the wreckage were lying scattered on the floor of the park, their bodies charred and aching from their rough landing after swinging through the sector. They had lost hold of the cable as the Plate finally crashed, and had landed in the park along with the wreckage where they remained frozen, too afraid to move until everything had fallen silent once more.  
  
Slowly, one by one, the three opened their eyes and gradually began to climb to their feet, the dirt and small pieces of metal falling from their bodies. They ached heavily as they stood up – they had taken quite a beating in their fall. As they stood up they turned towards the door of Sector 7 and walked slowly towards it, their eyes seeing the overall devastation for the very first time. Barret came to a stop in the middle of the park, his eyes opening wide as he saw what was left of Sector 7.  
  
"Marlene! MARLENE!!" he shouted.  
  
Tifa and Cloud watched sadly as Barret ran up to the wreckage blocking the sector's entrance. Barret stopped at the wreckage and began to look around frantically, desperately trying to find some way into the sector through the mounds of metal blocking his path.  
  
"MAR---LE---NE!!" he yelled, even though inside he knew that Marlene would not be able to answer him. Desperately he ran down the side of the door, constantly searching for a way in. "Biggs!" He ran down the other side, trying to peer through the metal. "Wedge!!" He ran back to the middle and shouted to the sky. "Jessie!! Dammit! Goddamit! Goddamit all to hell!! What the hell's it all for!?"  
  
In his mind's eye he could picture Marlene, sitting alone in the 7th Heaven anxiously waiting for him to return. She would have had no idea what was going on, or know why people were running around and screaming. Only at the last minute when she looked out of the window would she realise what was happening, and she would call out for Barret.  
  
"ARGGHHHH!!!" Barret bellowed angrily, and he began to hit the metal in his anger. His pounds were pointless, but he continued to hit them in his desperation and his rage.  
  
"Hey, Barret!" Cloud called out to him.  
  
"Barret!" said Tifa.  
  
Barret didn't listen. "ARGGHHHH!!!" he roared.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Barret, stop..." Tifa pleaded, her voice falling to almost a whisper. "Please stop, Barret."  
  
"URGHHHH!!!" Barret raged one last time. He stopped hitting the wall of metal and stepped back, raising his gun-arm and firing dozens and dozens of bullets into the metal. The bullets hit and rebounded away from the wall, causing no damage at all. After a moment or two Barret stopped firing his gun and fell sadly onto his knees, the last of his rage burned out at long last. With the last of his energy he raised his fist and hit the door one last time, although it was a weak, pathetic punch. "God damn..." he whispered, his voice gone, and behind him Tifa and Cloud slowly looked away.

* * *

A little while later, Barret had finally moved away from the wreckage blocking the entrance and was sat on the ground near to the broken slide in silence. Tifa and Cloud were stood around him also in silence, unsure of what to say to comfort the heartbroken man. All of the rage had completely burned out of Barret now, and now all he could so was sit by the slide and try to fight the overwhelming tears that were growing in his eyes over his loss of Marlene.  
  
Cloud and Tifa were also in shock over what had just happened. Tifa's mind was focused still on all of the people who had been in the slums at the time. Even though she had warned them and told them to leave, many of them had remained in the slums. There would have been no time for them to leave when the Plate began to fall. Now they were all dead, buried forever in the wreckage of the sector. Cloud on the other hand, had his mind on something else.  
  
"Marlene..." Barret whispered.  
  
Tifa thought silently for a moment, before she finally looked up at Barret.  
  
"......Barret......? Marlene is... I think Marlene is safe."  
  
Barret stopped and looked up at Tifa, his eyes hopeful. "......Huh?"  
  
Tifa folded her arms, thinking back to the moments before the Plate fell. "Right before they took Aeris, she said, 'Don't worry, she's all right'. She was probably talking about Marlene."  
  
"R, really!?"  
  
Tifa lowered her eyes. "But...  
  
Barret also looked at the ground. "Biggs... Wedge... Jessie..."  
  
"All three of them were in the pillar," stated Cloud.  
  
"Think I don't know that?" Barret demanded, jumping to his feet angrily. His fists shook as he spoke. "But... we, all of us fought together. I don't wanna think of them as dead!"  
  
"...And the other people in Sector 7," said Tifa.  
  
"This is all screwed up!" Barret shouted, shaking his fists. "They destroyed an entire village just to get to us! They killed so many people..."  
  
Tifa looked at him. "...Are you saying it's our fault?" she asked him, her voice choking slightly. "Because AVALANCHE was here? Innocent people lost their lives because of us?"  
  
"No, Tifa! That ain't it!" Barret said to her, the rage rising in him again. "Hell no!! It ain't us! It's the damn Shinra! It's the damn Shinra! It's never been nobody but the Shinra!" Tifa folded her arms and looked down in thought as Barret continued. "They're evil and destroyin' our planet just to... build their power and line their own damn pockets with gold! If we don't get rid of them, they're gonna kill this planet! Our fight ain't never gonna be over until we get rid of them!!"  
  
"...I don't know."  
  
"What don't you know?" Barret asked of her. "You don't believe me?"  
  
Tifa shook her head. "It's not that," she said. "I'm not sure about... me. My feelings."  
  
Barret glared at Tifa for a moment, before he turned sharply to Cloud.  
  
"An' what about you?" he asked.  
  
Cloud had turned away during Barret's length speech about his hatred for the Shinra, and had even walked a few steps away as well. He seemed to have something else on his mind, and as Barret spoke to him he looked up towards the Sector 6 plate.  
  
"......" was all he said, before he walked away from them and headed off into the winding truck graveyards that led the way to Sector 5.  
  
"Yo!" Barret called after him. Cloud didn't answer him and just walked away. Barret turned to Tifa. "Where's he think he's going?"  
  
Tifa jumped as she remembered. "Oh! Aeris!"  
  
"Oh yeah, that girl," said Barret thoughtfully. "What's up with her?"  
  
Tifa shook her head. "...I don't really know," she admitted. "But she's the one I left Marlene with."  
  
"Damn! Marlene!" Barret shouted. He ran towards the gate of the park to follow Cloud to Sector 5. He stopped suddenly beside the gate, and turned back to Tifa. "Tifa. There ain't no turnin' back now."  
  
With that he ran off after Cloud. Tifa remained in the park for a few moments more as she looked back towards the wreckage that was Sector 7, where the glowing red fires were still burning fiercely deep inside. In that wreckage were three of her friends, along with the rest of Sector 7. But Barret was right – it was because of Shinra that those people had died. So she took a breath to let go of her grief, and then walked away leaving Sector 7 behind her.  
  
Cloud meanwhile was slowly walking through the truck graveyard that joined Sectors 5 and 6 together. He was silent as he walked, for his mind was only thinking of Aeris at that point.  
  
He blamed himself for her being captured by the Turks. She was another innocent who had been caught up in the tragedy, and it was because of him that she had been captured. He could have been more firm with her and insisted that she went home where she would be safe from them, but her cheerful and light-hearted personality had made him succumb to that. Aeris was very insistent, and even though she knew the danger she was putting herself in she still came along with him and Tifa, regardless. That still didn't make Cloud feel any less guilty, and he knew he had to go back to Aeris's house to let her mother know.  
  
"Cloud!"  
  
Cloud stopped and turned as Barret ran up towards him, followed closely by Tifa. The two stopped beside him, and Barret stepped up close to him.  
  
"Take me to Marlene," he said simply to Cloud.  
  
"Are you going to help Aeris?" asked Tifa.  
  
Cloud slowly nodded his head. "Yeah..." he replied. "But before that, there's something I want to know."  
  
"What's that?" asked Tifa.  
  
The young man in front of them turned away and looked up towards the Plate above them. From where they were they could see the pillar of Sector 5, standing firm and secure and holding up the Plate.  
  
"...It's about the Ancients," said Cloud.  
  
As he looked up towards the Plate, a fairly family cold wave began to run through his veins, making Cloud space out a little. His eyes flickered until they were shut, and a strange voice began to speak in his mind.  
  
_In my veins courses the blood of the Ancients.  
I am one of the rightful heirs to this planet!_  
  
Cloud blinked and held his head in his hands. He shook it until the faint ringing in his head faded.  
  
"Sephiroth...?" he whispered, and fell down onto his knees.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Tifa.  
  
"Pull it together, man!" Barret said unsympathetically.  
  
Cloud pushed himself to his feet, giving his head a final shake before turning to Tifa and Barret. Tifa was looking at him with a look of concern, while Barret had his head tilted to the side as he looked at Cloud with a puzzled look on his face. Cloud didn't say anything and simply turned away, beginning to walk on through the dirty alleyways as though nothing had ever happened. Barret and Tifa followed close behind, walking silence as they headed on to Sector 5.  
  
Even though it was nighttime, there were many people out and about in Sector 5. They had all been woken up by the sound of the Sector 7 Plate crashing, and many children were crying in their beds while the adults were running around trying to find out what was going on. They ignored Cloud and his friends as they entered the sector, too busy with their own affairs to care.  
  
The only quiet place was at Aeris's house, which was still just as quiet and as calm as it was when Cloud left it earlier that night. He was surprised to find that the door was ajar as he approached, and walked straight into the house with Barret and Tifa behind him.  
  
Elmyra was standing in the living room with her back to them as they entered. She neither flinched nor looked up as she heard the door open and close behind her, for she knew immediately who had just walked in.  
  
"Cloud... wasn't it?" she asked. She slowly turned to Cloud and his friends, her face sombre and red as though she had been crying. "It's about Aeris, isn't it?"  
  
Seeing the sight of the woman's heartbroken face made Cloud feel even guiltier. "...Sorry," he apologised sincerely. "The Shinra have her."  
  
The news didn't seem to come as a surprise to Elmyra. Her eyes filled up again, and a single tear ran down her old face. She turned away from the group and walked away from them towards the kitchen.  
  
"I know," she said finally. "They took her from here."  
  
"They were here?" Cloud asked in surprise.  
  
Elmyra turned back to him. "That's what Aeris wanted......"  
  
"Why is the Shinra after Aeris?" Cloud asked, a question that had been burning inside of him since he met Aeris in the church.  
  
Once again Elmyra turned away from them. "Aeris is an Ancient," she answered. "The sole survivor."  
  
"...What did you say?" asked Barret in surprise. "But, aren't you her mother?"  
  
"...Not her real mother," Elmyra replied. She lifted her apron and wiped a tear from her eye, swallowing hard for a few moments to gather herself. When she'd finished she looked up. "Oh.. it must have been 15 years ago... during the war. My husband was sent to the front. Some far away place called Wutai. One day, I went to the station because I got a letter saying he was coming home on leave."

* * *

_Elmyra walked up to the Sector 5 train station, her heart beating excitedly at the thought of seeing her husband after so long. The train had just pulled in when she arrived, and already the passengers were beginning to pile off the train.  
  
A strong young man stepped off first, where hi fiancé immediately ran to him from the platform. They embraced as they met, and he lifted her up in his arms and spun her around before they headed off home together. An elderly man, who had not returned from the war, was the next to step off. His wife ran to him also, but instead of him lifting her, she lifted him, and together they also walked off towards the sector.  
  
Elmyra waited patiently as the rest of the passengers descended from the train. She began to feel a little desperate as more stepped off, but not one of them was her husband. Eventually the crowds began to thin, until eventually there was no one left on the platform except for her. The train door closed, and Elmyra quickly ran to the station guard and asked if there was anyone else on board. Regretfully the guard shook his head, and Elmyra sadly turned away. She walked down the stairs of the platform and stopped at the bottom, staring at the floor in sadness._

* * *

"My husband never came back. I wonder if something happened to him? No, I'm sure his leave was just cancelled. I went to the station everyday. Then, one day......"

* * *

_On the fifth day Elmyra returned to the station once more, praying with all her heart that this would be the day that her husband returned home to her.  
  
She was surprised to find that there were very few people gathered around the station on that particular day. In fact there were only two people on the platform that day, and as Elmyra set her eyes on them she immediately gasped and ran quickly towards them.  
  
It was a mother and a child. The mother, a beautiful woman with luxurious long brown hair, had collapsed on the stairs of the platform with sheer exhaustion. Her daughter looked to be only seven years old, and looked so much like her mother it was uncanny. She had the same long, wavy brown hair and gentle brown eyes. She was kneeling beside her mother with tears in her eyes, begging her mother to get up.  
  
Elmyra ran to the two and knelt down beside the girl's mother. The young girl ran around to Elmyra and pleaded with her to make her mother better again. Elmyra looked at the girl's desperate face, which was full of tears.  
  
Slowly, the girl's mother turned her head to look up at Elmyra. She opened her mouth to speak and slowly whispered something in Elmyra's ear. When she finished she lay back and closed her eyes, and her body fell limp as she gave in to her exhaustion and died in front of Elmyra and her daughter. The young girl immediately burst into tears and threw her arms around Elmyra, who wrapped her up and held her tightly, letting the girl cry._

* * *

Elmyra closed her eyes as she remembered. "You used to see this sort of thing a lot during the war. Her last words were, 'Please take Aeris somewhere safe.' My husband never came back. I had no child. I was probably lonely. So I decided to take her home with me. Aeris and I became close very quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything."  
  
The elderly woman smiled as she remembered some of the happy times she had with Aeris when she was a young child. One of her fondest memories, strange though it was, was Aeris running down the stairs towards the living room and falling over. She had helped the young girl get up, and Aeris immediately ran outside to the garden. Seeing that continued to reminded Elmyra of Aeris's determinism and inability to give up.  
  
"She told me escaped from some kind of research laboratory somewhere. And that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely... and many other things."  
  
"Returned to the planet?" Barret asked.  
  
Elmyra shook her head. "I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky, but she said it was this planet... She was a mysterious child in many ways."

* * *

_Aeris walked calmly down the stairs towards Elmyra as she stood waiting in the living room. As she looked up Elmyra could see that the young girl had a rather serious expression on her face, and a look of sadness.  
  
"Mom," she said, her voice gentle. "Please don't cry."_

* * *

"Aeris just blurted that out all of a sudden. When I asked her if something happened..."

* * *

_Aeris hung her head sadly. "Someone dear to you has just died," she said. "His spirit was coming to see you, but he has already returned to the planet."_

* * *

Elmyra shook her head again at the memory. "At that time I didn't believe her. But... Several days later... We received a notice saying my husband died..." She closed her eyes as she remembered the grief she had felt when she read that notice from the Shinra. "...And that's how it was. A lot had happened, but we were happy. Until one day..."

* * *

_Aeris stood as close to Elmyra as she could as they both looked at the man who had just entered the house. Tseng of the Turks was standing in the doorway, looking at Elmyra.  
  
"We want you to return Aeris to us," Tseng was saying to her. "We've been searching for her for a very long time."  
  
"No!" Aeris shouted defiantly from behind Elmyra, clutching onto her apron. She shook her head vigorously. "Never!"  
  
Tseng looked at Aeris. "Aeris, you're a very special child," he said to her, speaking in a soft, gentle voice so as to encourage her. "You are of special blood. Your real mother was an 'Ancient'."_

* * *

"Of course I heard it. That she was an Ancient."

* * *

_"The Ancients will lead us to a land of supreme happiness," said Tseng. "Aeris will be able to bring happiness to all those in the slums. That is why Shinra would like Aeris's cooperation."  
  
"He's wrong!" Aeris shouted again. She ran out from behind Elmyra and continued to shake her head in defiance. "I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"  
  
"But Aeris," Tseng said reasonably. "Surely you hear voices sometimes when you're all alone?"  
  
Again Aeris shook her head. "No, I don't!"  
  
And with that Aeris ran forward, brushing rudely past Tseng and out into the garden to hide so she couldn't be found and taken away from her new home. Tseng looked on almost sadly as the young girl ran off._

* * *

"But I knew," said Elmyra, opening her eyes. "I knew about her mysterious powers... She tried so hard to hide it, so I acted as though I never noticed."  
  
Cloud folded his arms. "It's amazing how she's avoided the Shinra for all these years..."  
  
"The Shinra needed her, so I guess they wouldn't harm her," said Elmyra.  
  
"But why now......" muttered Tifa.  
  
"She brought a little girl here with her," said Elmyra. "On the way here, Tseng found them. She probably couldn't get away fast enough. She decided to go to the Shinra in exchange for the little girl's safety."  
  
"Must be Marlene," Cloud assumed.  
  
"Marlene!!" shouted Barret. "Aeris was caught because of Marlene!?" He ran past Cloud to Elmyra. "I'm sorry. Marlene's my daughter. I'm... really... sorry..."  
  
Elmyra's eyes flashed at him angrily. "You're her father!?" she shouted, sounding disgusted. "How in the world could you ever leave a child alone like that!?"  
  
Barret held his head and shook it. "...Please don't start with that," he begged of her. "I think about it all the time. What would happen to Marlene, if..." He swallowed hard, trying to convey his true feelings. "But you gotta understand somethin'... ...I don't got an answer. I wanna be with Marlene... But I gotta fight. 'Cause if I don't... the planet's gonna die. So I'm gonna keep fightin'! But, I'm worried 'bout Marlene. I really just wanna be with her... always. See? I'm goin' in circles, now."  
  
Elmyra looked at Barret closely. Gradually the harsh look in her eyes softened as she believed that Barret's words were sincere.  
  
"...I think I understand what you're saying..." she said. "She's upstairs asleep. Why don't you go and see her?"  
  
Barret smiled gladly and immediately ran upstairs towards Aeris's bedroom where little Marlene was waiting for him. Once he was gone Tifa sighed heavily.  
  
"It's my fault," she whispered sadly. "I was the one who got Tifa involved in this."  
  
"Don't say that," said Elmyra. "Aeris doesn't think that."  
  
Tifa still didn't look any better. Cloud decided to leave her to Elmyra while he walked upstairs towards Aeris's room. The door to her bedroom was open, and he could hear Barret and Elmyra inside. He could mostly hear Barret's voice, and as he peeked into Aeris's room he saw Barret standing inside, with Marlene wrapped up in his arms.  
  
"I'm so glad... I'm so glad you're all right..." he was saying.  
  
Marlene was struggling hard to get away from him. "Daddy, don't cry. Your whiskers hurt!"  
  
Cloud smiled a little, and turned to leave them to it. He must have made some kind of noise, for as he turned Barret put Marlene down on the ground and turned to Cloud.  
  
"Cloud!" Cloud stopped and turned to Barret. "You're gonna go help Aeris, right? She's done so much for me... If it's the Shinra you're dealin' with, I can't just sit here! I'm comin', too!"  
  
Cloud smiled. He figured Barret would do that. Marlene squeezed past her father and ran to Cloud.  
  
"Guess what? Guess what?" the little girl asked him excitedly. Cloud knelt down beside her to listen. "Aeris was asking me lots of questions. Like what kind of person Cloud is. I bet she likes you, Cloud!"  
  
"Let's hope so," he said, his face turning red a little.  
  
Marlene instantly covered her mouth and giggled. She glanced back at Barret, before leaning in closer to Cloud and whispering in his ear.  
  
"I won't tell Tifa," she promised.  
  
Cloud sighed heavily. He then left Barret and Marlene alone and went back downstairs to where Tifa was still waiting with Elmyra. Tifa looked a little calmer now, so he figured that Elmyra's words of encouragement had helped in cheering the poor girl up. He walked right past Tifa, his mind made up, and headed towards the door.  
  
"You're going after Aeris, right?"  
  
Cloud stopped beside the door, and turned to Tifa. "Yeah," he said. He didn't mention that he was still effectively being hired as her bodyguard, and he had a responsibility to protect her.  
  
Tifa nodded. "I'm coming with you," she said.  
  
"We're going right into Shinra Headquarters," Cloud warned her. "...You gotta be prepared for the worst."  
  
"I know," said Tifa. "Right now, I feel I have to push myself to the limit. If I stayed here... I'll go crazy." A loud rumble came from the stairs as Barret tore down towards them, and came to a stop in front of Elmyra.  
  
"Sorry, but can you take care of Marlene a bit longer?" he asked her.  
  
Elmyra nodded. "Yes, I don't mind," she said.  
  
"This place is dangerous now," he said. "You better go somewhere else."  
  
"...You're right," Elmyra agreed gravely. She looked up at Barret. "But promise me that you'll come back to her. Don't get yourself killed."  
  
Barret turned to Tifa and Cloud, who were looking back at him. They all nodded together in agreement, and then ran out of Elmyra's house, ready to begin their mission to rescue Aeris. 


	17. Part 01: Chapter 17

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Seventeen**  
  
"How do we get to the Shinra Building?" asked Tifa once they were standing outside of Aeris's house.  
  
"There ain't no train that goes up there anymore..." said Barret.  
  
Tifa crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "...Well," she said finally. "Let's just go to Wall Market. We might be able to find something there."  
  
Cloud and Barret nodded. Wall Market was in Sector 6, and logically that seemed to be the best place to start in their search to find a way up to Shinra Headquarters, which was situated in the large tower in the centre of Midgar. So they left Aeris's house behind them and headed quickly towards Sector 6.  
  
It was a painful thing to do as they passed through the park again and look upon the smouldering pile of wreckage that was formerly the Plate. The fires were slowly beginning to die down now, and there were still no signs of life. They didn't stop to look at the wreckage or to mourn over their lost comrades – they were on a mission now, and there was nothing they could do for their friends now. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were dead, but they would never be forgotten.  
  
Sector 6 was also in a state of panic like Sector 5, although by now the people were beginning to calm down and return to their nightly lives, left only to wonder how and why the Sector 7 Plate had fallen. There were a few pieces of debris scattered around from when the Plate crashed, but nothing was seriously damaged.  
  
One thing Cloud did notice as he walked through the sector with Tifa and Barret were the expressions of some of the people who were looking at him. Many of the people, in particular the men, were looking at Cloud with sneering looks and pointing at him, laughing amongst themselves knowingly. At first Cloud was confused, until he was hit with a terrible flashback of how he had to walk through the sector clad in a purple silk dress and blonde wig. The people here had obviously heard of his escapade in Corneo's mansion, and now he had become the laughing stock of Sector 6. He walked faster through the sector, wanting to get away from the staring, jeering eyes of the men.  
  
For a while they wandered through the sector, trying to find something that could give them a lead to making it up to the upper plate and towards the Shinra HQ. They questioned a few people, but no one really knew or didn't care. The further north they headed into the middle of the sector the more debris there was that had fallen from the sky when the Plate crashed. Most of the debris had been gathered outside the Weapon Store, where a man was busy hauling a large broken chunk of metal that looked like an engine of sorts inside through the back door. Cloud signalled to Barret and Tifa to wait while he went inside the Weapons Store.  
  
He found the man at the back of the store, with the large broken engine lying next to him as he worked on it. For a moment or two Cloud just looked at the various weapons that had been manufactured within the store, unsure of what he was really looking for to help him and the others get to the upper levels. He eventually caught the shop owner's attention, and the man looked up at him.  
  
"You goin' up to the plate?" he asked suddenly. Clearly word spread fast throughout the sector. He stood up and wiped his hands on a dirty old cloth covered in oil. "You better have a Battery," he advised Cloud, walking to the fence that separated him and Cloud, and held out a small box of large square-shaped batteries. They looked pretty battered and dented, but they had obviously been fixed.  
  
Cloud tilted his head as he looked at the box. "You're gonna sell me something you just found?" he asked.  
  
"Hey, you knew?" the shop owner asked. He shrugged dismissively. "But I repaired it, so it's all right."  
  
"Why do I need a Battery to climb up to the plate?"  
  
The shop owner grinned knowingly. "You'll find out when you get there," he said. "How 'bout 100Gil for each?"  
  
Cloud looked down at the freshly repaired Batteries, unsure as to why he would really need them in order to get to the plate. Then he remembered that the people of the slums were desperate for money, and the shopkeeper had no real reason to lie to him.  
  
"...All right, I'll take them," Cloud said finally.  
  
He delved into his pocket and pulled out 300Gil, exactly enough for the three batteries that lay in the box. He handed the shopkeeper the money through a large hole in the fence, and the owner in turn pushed the box of batteries through a similar hole. Once Cloud took the batteries the shop owner turned back to his job of repairing the engine he had carted into the shop.  
  
Cloud left the shop to where Tifa and Barret were waiting for him. They looked at him in bewilderment as they saw the three batteries he had purchased, but they didn't say anything.  
  
They continued to head north, back up towards the section of the sector where Don Corneo's mansion was built. As they approached Cloud and Tifa saw that the mansion was now dark and all the lights were switched off – in fact the mansion looked entirely deserted.  
  
"Wanna see somethin' awesome?" came a young voice.  
  
The three turned to the sound of the voice. It came from a young boy, standing with a group of his friends near the entrance of the mansion beside a fairly dark alley. Cloud and his friends looked on as his friends nodded excitedly, and the boy turned to the alley.  
  
"Follow me!" he said.  
  
And with that the boy turned and ran into the alley, with his friends running excitedly behind him. Cloud looked to Tifa and Barret, who slowly nodded their heads. The mansion ran along the back of the wall that joined with Sector 7, and any lead, no matter how small, was better than nothing. So they headed down the alley after the children.  
  
As they entered the clearing behind the alley, they were surprised to find that the kids had all disappeared, with the exception of one young girl who was standing almost frightened beside the wall that separated the two sectors, which had been covered with graffiti. A long, thick cable was hanging near the side of the wall, and as Cloud, Tifa and Barret looked up they saw that the cable was coming from the remains of the cables and tubes that had previously been holding the Sector 7 Plate in place, and now were hanging down loosely all the way to the slums.  
  
"Everyone climbed up this wire," the young girl said, her voice trembling slightly as she looked up at the size of the wall and how high the wire climbed. "Looks scary... Brrr."  
  
"Can we climb it?" Tifa asked the young girl.  
  
She nodded in reply. "Yeah. It leads to the Upper World."  
  
"Awright!" Barret exclaimed. "We'll climb this wire!"  
  
Cloud turned to him. "There's no way we can do this," he protested. "You know how far it goes up?"  
  
"There IS a way!" Barret insisted. He turned to the wire. "Look! What's that look like?"  
  
Cloud looked at the wire, wondering what it was that Barret could see that he couldn't. To him it was just a long black cable dangling from the wreckage above them. It was a thick wire and looked strong and sturdy enough, but apart from that it wasn't anything special.  
  
"Just a normal wire," Cloud replied finally.  
  
"Oh yeah?" asked Barret. "Well to me it looks like a golden shiny wire of hope."  
  
Together Cloud and Tifa looked up at the wire once more and the ruins that lay beyond it. Even though they couldn't see all the way up to the top, it did seem as though it led all the way towards the upper plate.  
  
"You're right," said Tifa. She turned to the two men. "This is the only way to save Aeris..."  
  
"Okay," said Cloud. "That was a bad analogy, but Barret, I understand how you feel." He looked at Tifa and Barret, who nodded back at him. He then nodded. "Let's go!" he said, sounding enthusiastic.  
  
He then turned towards the cable behind him. He jumped up, grabbed onto it, pulled himself up and began to climb. Barret followed him, using most of his upper body strength to pull him up the wire since he had only one hand he could use to climb with. Tifa was last to jump onto the wire, which meant she was also the last to see the horrors that awaited them at the top of the wall.  
  
The rest of the girl's friends were all standing on the top of the old concrete wall, gasping and exclaiming in delight and fear as they looked at what lay beyond the wall, and as Cloud climbed up and looked in, he also gasped.  
  
He could see directly into what remained of Sector 7. Of course he could not see the slums, for they were buried deep beneath the plate. What he was looking at was what was left of the town built on top of the plate, which was just a large, smouldering wreckage. The metal of the plate and the houses were all broken up and distorted, twisted around into the most unbelievable positions. Electric cables had broken and were crackling – everything was a ruin. However, despite the devastation, there would be a small chance of people on top of the Plate surviving, but less could be said for those trapped under the Plate.  
  
"Oh man! This is terrible!" one kid wailed as he looked down at the wreckage.  
  
"Hey, scary, huh?" his friend said. "Dad told me that it's the Shinra's doing."  
  
Barret stared into the wreckage, his eyes opening wide as he saw the devastation. He knew that deep beneath that wreckage were Jessie, Biggs and Wedge, buried forever, for he doubted the Shinra would lift up the Plate. He was slightly relieved to know that at least some people knew that Shinra was to blame for this tragedy and not AVALANCHE, so the Shinra's attempts to blacken their appearance had failed. Tifa refused to let herself look down into the wreckage – she didn't want to see the charred, messed up graveyard that Sector 7 had become.  
  
They continued to climb the wire past the children, and headed up into the deep maze of broken pipes and chunks of metal that had lodged in the air from the top of the Sector 6 Plate.  
  
The cable eventually came to an end a little further up, and the group climbed onto the large pipe that it was dangling from. From there they looked around to see which would be the safest way of going up. The pipes twisted around each other, many of them dented and broken from the disaster, and many ladders had been bent completely out of shape. There was one ladder that had been dented so it made a dip before rising up again towards another pipe that led higher up towards the upper world. There was a fan next to it, although the blades were a little out of reach right then.  
  
Cloud jumped from the pipe they were standing on and onto the pipe that held the fan. The blades were too strong to be pushed into place, but there was a small square box near the foot of the fan, and as he looked inside he could see that it was a battery slot. He then realised that this was what the Weapons Store owner meant when he sold Cloud the batteries.  
  
"...Maybe if I put a battery in..." he wondered aloud, looking down at the three batteries. "The propeller might work. I guess I'll just have to believe the shopkeeper."  
  
Tifa and Barret watched hopefully as Cloud pushed one of the three batteries into the slot. It was a struggle to get the battery in since everything was so rusty, but he eventually got the battery in and a light lit up on the side of the fan.  
  
Slowly, the blades of the fan began to turn. They creaked loudly as rust broke away from their hinges, fighting the urge to stop and beginning to turn slowly. They began to speed up a little, absorbing the power of the battery and turning around for the first time in years.  
  
It wasn't the fault of the fan when the light suddenly exploded and the blades began to slow down again. The battery was very old and had been very hastily repaired, so it was no wonder that the battery lost its power very quickly and began to die out. Cloud watched as the blades began to slow down, and sighed with relief as they stopped, with one blade stopping right beside the pipe that led onto the ladder they needed to get to.  
  
The group wasted no time in continuing their long journey up to the upper world. With the blades now in place they were able to climb onto the pipe and then onto the ladder, which was stuck firmly in place between the two pipes. After the ladder then began to climb the pipes, using the dents and ridges as handholds and footholds for them to hold onto so they wouldn't fall to the ground, which was already a long way behind them.  
  
They came to a stop again as a large metal bar blocked their path on a pipe further up, which was easily removed as Cloud but the second of the three batteries in a nearby box. The bar lifted up with a loud creak, allowing the group to pass. The pipe itself ended a little further on, but the pipe on the other side of the abyss looked as though it continued to rise. There was, of course, a large gap between that pipe and the one they were standing on, with only a gently swinging bar between them.  
  
"Looks like the only way is to jump onto that bar," Cloud assumed. "Should make it if I jump before it comes too close."  
  
Tifa and Barret looked at him confused, and exclaimed loudly as Cloud suddenly dived off the pipe towards the bar. Tifa cried out and covered her eyes, unable to watch in case Cloud fell.  
  
Cloud caught hold of the bar as it swung towards him, and held on with all his strength. With the extra weight now on the bar it began to swing more strongly, and with each swing he got closer to the other pipe. When he was close enough he released his hold on the bar and fell onto the pipe, quickly grabbing onto the ridges to stop him from falling off. He signalled to Barret to follow, and Tifa sighed with relief as she opened her eyes and saw Cloud was safe.  
  
The rest of the journey was fairly simple once the bar obstacle had been passed. There were no other blockages or jumps to make, no pipes to cross over, just a straight journey straight up towards the upper world.  
  
Everything was fairly quiet on the upper plate surrounding the Shinra Building. The tower itself was lit up with many searchlights that were rolling around the sky. A single helicopter was flying overhead examining the wreckage of Sector 7.  
  
Cloud, Barret and Tifa stood together near the entrance of the Shinra Building, looking up at it in the darkness. Cloud had one hand grasped onto the handle of his sword, while Barret's gun-arm was raised and ready, and Tifa pushed her gloves firmly into place for the inevitable battles that lay ahead. Slowly Cloud turned his head towards his friends, who nodded back at him. Cloud then turned back to the building, and then the three of them began to run to the Shinra Building, the rescue mission that would unwind the rest of their stories finally beginning. 


	18. Part 01: Chapter 18

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Eighteen**  
  
Cloud and the two AVALANCHE members stopped just outside the entrance to the Shinra Building and looked up at the tower looming above them. The building was very tall, and must have had at least 60 floors built into it. This was the central control for all of Midgar, where all the decisions relating to the city were made. This was where President Shinra would have given the order to destroy Sector 7 and take the lives of so many. The Shinra president would be in that building somewhere, being protected by his guards and followers. And, of course, Aeris would be in that building too, although they didn't know where.  
  
"Hey, you oughta know this building well," Barret said suddenly to Cloud as they looked up at the Shinra Building together.  
  
Cloud shook his head. "...Not really," he admitted. He folded his arms and thought silently for a moment. "Now that I think of it... This's the first time I've ever been to the Headquarters."  
  
"I heard about this place before," Barret began to explain. He walked past Cloud and Tifa and looked straight up at the tall, looming tower. "Every floor above the 60th is special and not easy to get to even for employees. Must be where they took Aeris. Awright, let's go!" He ran forward towards the entrance of the building.  
  
"Wait a second!" Tifa called out suddenly, and Barret came to a stop and looked back at her irritably. "You're not thinking of just going right through the main entrance, are you?"  
  
"Well what does it look like!?" Barret asked, as though the answer was obvious. "I'm gonna kick some Shinra butt and......"  
  
"That's not going to work!" Tifa protested, her voice anxious. "We've got to find another way..."  
  
Barret's eyes twitched impatiently. "Ain't gonna be another way!" he roared irately at her, growing angry at Tifa's protests. "If we keep wastin' time like this, Aeris'll..."  
  
"I know that!" said Tifa. "But if we get caught here..." She sighed heavily and shook her head. She was getting nowhere arguing with Barret, for he had a mind like a brick wall – very hard to change. She then had an idea and turned to Cloud. "Hey, Cloud. ...What should we do?"  
  
Up until that point Cloud had been looking up at the Shinra Building whilst listening to Tifa and Barret argue over how they should break in. The tower was very, very tall, and even though he had never been inside the building before, he knew that it would be very well protected. It was probably the only place in Midgar that wasn't run down and rusty, since this was the most important place in Midgar. There might not have been any guards standing around the outside of the building, but he knew that inside there would probably be hundreds of guards waiting for them, as well as SOLDIER and anything else Shinra had ready in their defence. He looked at Tifa.  
  
"Let's sneak in quietly," he answered. After all, they were on a rescue mission, and they didn't want to be caught before they even found out where Aeris was.  
  
"See?" Tifa asked triumphantly, grinning at Barret. "Let's see if we can find a different route!"  
  
Barret growled angrily and shook his fist at Cloud and Tifa as they turned and walked away from him, heading towards the long, wide alleyway that wound around the side of the Shinra Building. As much as Barret hated to admit it, Tifa was right. To just enter the building with guns blazing would just be a suicide mission, not a rescue mission. He looked at the double doors leading into the building, resisting the urge to just run in and shoot like crazy. Instead he was able to hold back his desire and followed Cloud and Tifa into the alley.  
  
They had stopped just a little further ahead after finding a door that led into the Shinra Building, kind of like a back door. Tifa pulled on the door handle as Barret caught up with them, and was surprised to find the door was unlocked and opened easily. Cloud let Tifa go in first before he followed her, and lastly Barret walked through, and they were inside the Shinra Building.  
  
As they walked through and saw what was beyond, the three stopped and stared, their heads slowly looking upwards. The door led to a long staircase – a very long staircase. The stairs wound round and round above them, going up each floor of the tower, which was at least 60 floors high. Barret blinked, gazing upon the stairs, amazed at how high they went. The tower looked high on its own, but to look at it from this perspective, made it seem even higher.  
  
"Yo..." he said aloud, his voice filled with awe. "You really gonna take these stairs all the way up?"  
  
Tifa gave him a sideways glance. "Well, we've got to get to Aeris to help her somehow," she replied.  
  
"Talk about out of the way..."  
  
"I don't have time to argue with you!" the young woman shouted, her fists clenched and shaking angrily. She stepped onto the stairs and frowned back at Barret, her brown eyes glaring. "I'm going!"  
  
And with that she turned away from the two men and began to run up the stairs, regardless of how high she was going to have to go to reach the top. She reached the first floor after a couple of turns on the winding staircase and carried on, refusing to stop or wait for Cloud and Barret.  
  
"Y-Yo, Tifa!" Barret called after her. "Don't go off alone."  
  
He and Cloud began to run after her up the stairs, since there was no other way they could get up there other than this staircase. They caught up to Tifa fairly easily since they were both stronger and faster than the young woman, but after a while even they began to feel the strain of fatigue. Tifa's hair was flying around her face as she ran, and she had to keep pushing it out of the way. Barret was panting heavily, and was already beginning to complain again.  
  
"Don't know... Why... the hell... we gotta... climb."  
  
"...Because we don't wanna start a commotion until we've saved Aeris," Cloud replied simply. He was beginning to pant with fatigue as well. He looked down at the ground as he ran. "I doubt that's possible, though..."  
  
Barret smiled to himself. "...Heh, heh, heh," he laughed quietly.  
  
Cloud's head snapped round to look at Barret. "Knock it off," he ordered. "You're giving me the creeps."  
  
They fell silent for a while as they ran up the next ten levels or so. As they reached the eighteenth floor or so, Barret looked up at Cloud.  
  
"So even you will fight for someone else," he said. "I had you figured wrong I guess."  
  
"Who cares what you figured!" Cloud snapped.  
  
"I'm just sayin' mebbe I was wrong..."  
  
"Heh, heh, heh..." Tifa laughed a little to herself.  
  
Now Cloud snapped his head round to Tifa. "What's that suppose to mean, Tifa?" he demanded.  
  
Tifa didn't answer him, but the knowing smile remained on her face as she ran on. As she ran she grabbed her hair and threw it back behind her and out of her face, which was hot and red from the running. She passed Barret as he stopped for a moment to catch his breath before he carried on running. She had no idea what floor they were on now – she'd lost track after maybe the twelfth floor or so, but it didn't really matter because they were still going up anyway.  
  
"...How much farther do these stairs go on?" Barret asked suddenly, breaking the silence to complain again.  
  
Tifa rolled her eyes. "Why don't you ask them?" she suggested to him sarcastically.  
  
"It's not one of them endless stairways or somethin', d'ya think?"  
  
"Of course not!!" Tifa replied, beginning to grow very annoyed at Barret's constant complaining.  
  
"Right..." Barret said, slowly nodding his head. "Couldn't be that..."  
  
He continued to run along after Tifa and Cloud. They were probably only halfway up the seemingly endless staircase now, but still seemed a long way to the top to them. By now weariness had truly set in. Their legs burned intensely as they ran, and their chests heaved with each breath they took. They were gradually slowing down in speed but refused to stop.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Barret asked suddenly.  
  
"Not yet," replied Tifa. There was a pause for a moment or two as they turned a couple of corners on the stairs, before Barret spoke again.  
  
"...There yet?"  
  
"I said not yet!" Tifa retorted. They fell silent once again.  
  
"Yo..."  
  
"Look, don't even ask!" Tifa snarled furiously, turning her head around and glaring at Barret with such an enraged look at both Barret and Cloud felt a little scared. "We're way, way, way, way far away from being there, okay!?"  
  
She turned away from them and pushed herself harder, beginning to pull away from the two as her anger powered her on as extra energy. Barret didn't say anything else for a while and just ran on in silence, wishing inside his mind that this long trek was over with. Cloud stopped on the stairs for a moment to catch his breath, his sword feeling like a deadweight on his back. There was no time for him to adjust it now, so he began to run again, his legs also beginning to feel dead. He soon began to catch up to Tifa and Barret, and could already hear Barret's voice.  
  
"Damn, man! I've had it! I'm going back!"  
  
"And take just as long going down as you did coming up?"  
  
"......"  
  
Cloud turned a corner on the stairs and came to a stop again. Barret and Tifa had both stopped just ahead of him, with Barret keeling over and panting hard, his face red with lack of air in his lungs. Tifa was at the top of the stairs ahead of him, her face also red, but she managed to find enough energy to make a face at Barret as he stood panting like a weakling in front of her.  
  
"C'mon, Barret! Pull it together!" she said, trying to encourage him.  
  
Barret refused to look up at her. "Yeah, well all I know is I'm just flesh 'n' blood..." he replied. He looked down at his gun-arm that was supporting him on his knee and stopping him collapsing. "'Cept for this arm of mine. Don't treat me like I'm some ex-member of SOLDIER or somethin'..."  
  
Cloud raised an eyebrow.  
  
Tifa put her hands on her hips indignantly. "What about me!?" she demanded. "I'm human too! Oh, do what you want, I'm going on!"  
  
She turned away and began to head up the stairs once more, as always leaving Barret and Cloud behind her. However, after a few steps she suddenly stopped and turned back to the two.  
  
"......? Yaah!" she screamed mockingly. "Barret! You go first!"  
  
"What're ya ignorant?" Barret asked her. "I didn't mean that..."  
  
Tifa grinned as she ran over to him. "All right, all right!" she said, but still motioned for Barret to go on ahead of her. Barret did so, shaking his head as he took a few steps before he began to run again. Tifa looked at Cloud. "Cloud, you go on ahead, too!!" she added, and only waited until Cloud began to run ahead of her before she also began to run, a fairly smug smile on her face.  
  
And so they continued their seemingly endless trek up the stairs of the Shinra Building. The ground floor was now a long way beneath them, and it was very nauseating to look down and see the drop, so no one dared to look. They only looked at the stairs as they passed by beneath them, step after step.  
  
"Yo..." Barret said through each panting breath. "What floor is this?"  
  
Tifa shrugged. "...I gave up counting," she admitted.  
  
Barret narrowed his eyes and glared at each step he ran on. "Why they gotta build these buildings so damn tall?" he asked aloud. "That Shinra... They're just no damn good."  
  
"......" was Tifa's only reply, and they continued to run.  
  
They had to stop a couple of more times as they ran, trying to catch their breath and moving on again before the others would get too far ahead, although by the time they caught up that person would also have stopped for breath. Their legs were heavy and sore from the running, their lungs desperate for breath.  
  
"Huff... Man, I'm beat..." Barret said, beginning to complain once again. This time Tifa didn't acknowledge the complaint – she'd just be wasting her breath. Barret raised his eyes to the ceiling far above them, although his mind was focused on something else. "Marlene," he whispered. "Daddy wants to see your face one more time..."  
  
Now Tifa reacted. "Would you stop acting like a retard and climb!?" she raged, her temper rising once again. "It's just a bit more! ...Maybe," she added quietly to herself, for now even she was beginning to wonder if the stairs would ever end and they would reach the top.  
  
Luckily they didn't have to go much father to reach the top. Just a couple of floors later the stairs finally came to a stop as they reached the top level of the Shinra Building – or at least as high as the stairs went up the building. A single door that was lying ajar lay at the top of the stairs leading the way into the building, which was a great sight to see after their long and arduous climb. The three were extremely relieved to finally stop and rest their legs, leaning over with their hands on their knees to hold them up as they panted hard, sweat pouring down their faces, their legs and chests aching.  
  
"F..." Barret panted, breathing deeply as he tried to catch his breath. He tried to speak again. "Finally... M... made it... N... never wanna see... no more stairs for the rest of my life..." He pushed himself firmly upright and walked through the open door into the building.  
  
"Huff... puff..." Tifa breathed, her throat dry. "This really takes it out of you... But this is it. We'd better get ready...!" She also stood up and walked through the door, leaving Cloud to follow last through the door and finally into the building.  
  
They emerged onto Floor 59 of the Shinra Building, which was as far as the normal employees of Shinra were allowed to go. Two red-suited Shinra guards to prevent unauthorised entry guarded the lifts at the far end of the level, and no doubt there was some special security within the lift to prevent people going any higher than they were allowed to. At that time the guards were the only people on the floor, which was a relief as the guards spotted the group heading towards them, and in particular spotted their weapons ready for battle.  
  
"Destroy the intruders!" one of the guards shouted, and the two soldiers ran towards the group.  
  
Cloud and Barret were about to run forward with their weapons to attack the guards, but Tifa beat them to it as she ran forward to meet them. She was tired from all the running, but she was energised by the anger she felt when she remembered what Shinra did to the people of Sector 7, and didn't want anyone to get in her way.  
  
She drew back her fist and punched the first guard as she met him in the middle of the floor. She punched so hard that her glove smashed through the glass visor of his helmet, sending glass flying through the air. The soldier fell back and cried out as sharp shards of glass fell into his eyes.  
  
Tifa turned sharply as she heard the sound of a click behind her. Without a single hesitation she jumped up into the air, straightening her legs as she jumped in preparation for a kick. As she turned in the air she kicked sideways, knocking the rifle from the second guard's hands as he prepared to fire at her. The gun went clattering onto the floor next to Tifa and the guard, but Tifa wasn't finished with the guard just yet. As she landed she grabbed hold of the guard with her gloved hands and pulled him harshly towards her. At the same time she raised one knee and kneed him hard in the face, also smashing the visor that shielded him. Then she punched him in the chest, a punch so powerful that the soldier was thrown back and onto the floor, falling limp as the power of Tifa's fists overcame him.  
  
By that point the first soldier had recovered and was running towards Tifa once again. Tifa was quicker however, and quickly crouched down and swept one leg around her as she soldier approached. The Shinra guard tripped up over her leg and began to fall down on top of her, but by that time Tifa had already let herself fall onto her back and was ready to catch him as he fell. She didn't hold him for long, for she put one leg underneath the guard's chest and pushed, throwing him up into the air and over her. He also went flying and crashed into a wall at the other end of the floor, and didn't get up again. As he flew something fell from his pocket and skidded across the floor, stopping by Cloud's boots.  
  
Cloud and Barret could only stare in absolute amazement as Tifa climbed to her feet and began to brush herself off, her anger and rage now gone once she had let it out. She caught their surprised gazes looking at her, and merely looked at the two with an innocent expression.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing," Barret answered quickly. He knew that Tifa was an expert martial artist, but never before had he seen so much aggression and power within her. She was a lot stronger than she looked.  
  
Cloud looked at Tifa before he looked at the ground and spotted the item that had fallen from one of the guard's pockets. He knelt down."  
  
"What's this?" he muttered, and picked it up.  
  
It looked like some kind of security card with the number '60' printed on it in large, bold letters. Cloud stared for a moment before he realised what it was. It was a Key Card, specially designed to unlock the secret floors of the Shinra building. This particular one was marked '60', which meant that with it they could use the lift and go on up to the 60th floor, the first of a few secret floors.  
  
He walked past Barret and Tifa as they moved the two guards out of sight and up to one of the two lifts that the two soldiers had been guarding. Inside the lift was the control panel used to choose the designated floor, and a swipe slot. Cloud swiped the Key Card through the slot just as Barret and Tifa entered the lift beside him. The control panel beeped for a few seconds before a green light flashed, and the lift doors shut behind them. There was a shudder as the lift began to move upwards, and Cloud turned to Barret and Tifa.  
  
"This is the real thing," Barret warned them all. "Don't let your guard down."  
  
"I hope Aeris is all right," said Tifa. 


	19. Part 01: Chapter 19

**Final Fantasy 7  
  
Emerald Princess of Vernea  
  
Chapter Nineteen**  
  
A single Shinra guard slept peacefully in his chair in the security room, unaware of everything that was going on in the rest of the building. All around him the many television monitors were focused on different parts of the upper levels of the Shinra Headquarters. The green lights on each of the monitors signalled that everything was okay and there was no cause for concern, so the Shinra guard thought it would be safe to take a nap.  
  
However, as he slept, one of the monitor's lights changed from green to red and flashed brightly, although the guard did not stir. The monitor was showing two lifts on the 60th floor, and in particular the one that was just opening and releasing the three intruders that were gathered inside. But the Shinra guard was fast asleep and lost in his own world of dreams, and so he did not see the three as they began to pile out of the lift.  
  
Cloud, Tifa and Barret piled out of the lift and stood on Floor 60 of the Shinra Building, and quickly headed off into a small room at the side to avoid being seen. This floor was different in structure to the previous floor, and was a little better guarded. The middle of the floor was empty but was bordered by four guards that patrolled in pairs back and fourth each of the different sections, peering through each pillar to catch any unwary intruders. At the far end of the floor was another small room that was the staircase leading to the upper levels, but the guards were right across the floor, blocking their only way across.  
  
"Lookit that, all them guards is runnin' around," Barret growled angrily as the three of them peeked through the second door leading out of the side room and at the guards as they patrolled behind the pillars. "Cloud, you go on ahead and signal us when it's safe to come."  
  
Cloud didn't protest and went to the door to get a closer look at the guards patrolling pattern. The four guards were split into two pairs that were patrolling different sections of the floor. The first two guards closest to them were patrolling behind the first three pillars, stopping at the large structure in the middle of the floor. They seemed to walk at the same time, stopping between the pillars to peer through. Their movements were fairly regular, so he figured it would actually be an easy task to make their way across.  
  
He slipped out of the door and towards the first pillar. He pressed himself against it and looked back through the corner of his eye to see the two guards walking towards him on the other side of the pillar. He saw them stop, and then turn away and began to walk back, and it was only then that Cloud made a quick, quiet dash for the next pillar. He made it just as the soldiers turned and headed back again. He stood silent behind the middle pillar, with a soldier on either side of him on the other side of the pillar. A few moments later the soldiers turned and headed further down towards the first pillars, and it was then that Cloud made his dash for the third and final pillar before daring to make a dash for the middle structure. He leaned back against it and sighed heavily, relieved to have made it halfway across the floor without being seen. But now he had to get the others across.  
  
Barret was already waiting in the doorway for Cloud to signal to him. Now that Cloud was in the middle he could see the soldiers a lot better and where they were. He waited until the soldiers were moving towards him before he signalled to Barret to move forward. Barret slid quietly out of the door and stopped behind the first pillar as Cloud signalled for him to stop. When the soldiers began to move again Cloud signalled for Barret to move again, until he joined Cloud in the middle, and he began to signal to Tifa to move across.  
  
Moving to the other end of the floor was just as simple as the first part. Cloud went first, moving across the pillars one by one past the soldiers until he reached the very last pillar, which stopped near the door leading to the stairs. He stayed by this pillar and signalled for Barret and Tifa to come across one at a time. They had a close call as Tifa stepped out a little too early, stepping back again just in time before a soldier spotter her, and then they would have been caught and all their efforts so far would have been for nothing. Once they were all safely across the floor they all headed into the room with the stairs leading up to the next floor. Barret grinned haughtily in his own pride.  
  
"Okay!" he cheered, now that they were free to talk openly again. "We're gonna rock!"  
  
"Remember, we're here to save Aeris," Tifa reminded him sternly.  
  
Barret turned to her. "Hell, I know that!" he snapped.  
  
With that the three headed on up towards the 61st floor. As they walked up to the next floor they were surprised to find that the door leading into the level was unlocked and left wide open – so much for security. Of course they couldn't head straight up to the 62nd floor, for that door had been left locked. So they decided to brave the danger and headed out onto the 61st floor in search of a Key Card that would unlock the next floor for them.  
  
The 61st floor seemed to be a large common room for the staff that worked in the Shinra Building. It was wide and vast, with wooden tables and chairs scattered around for people to sit and relax in while they enjoyed their lunch breaks. There were numerous people walking around or sitting down – clearly the Shinra kept people working even at night. The floor was quite nicely decorated with a number of green plants and shrubbery around, and it seemed like a pleasant floor compared to the rest of Midgar. Obviously this wasn't the kind of place Shinra would keep their prisoners in, so Aeris was not on this floor.  
  
"The hell are you?" came a voice. "What're you doin' around here?"  
  
Cloud and his group turned sharply to look behind them, and jumped to find a Shinra Executive standing directly behind them, looking at them with a suspicious look on his face. It was no surprise to them that they looked suspicious with their armour and weaponry, but they didn't think they would have stuck out that much.  
  
"......" Cloud mumbled quietly, struggling to find a believable answer.  
  
"Oh, I see," the Executive said suddenly. "You must be that whatcha call it..." He tapped his head for a moment, before he clicked his fingers. "Shinra Inc, Repair Division!! You know, it looks like this building is starting to fall apart." He pointed to the door that the group had just come through. "This door was just pushed open. You ought to fix this right away. Oh yeah, and take a look on the other floors too. I'll give you this." He pulled out a Key Card imprinted with the number '62' on it, and handed it to Cloud. Then he walked away, leaving Cloud blinking in his confusion. Then he shrugged. At least they had gotten hold of a Key Card leading to a higher floor. So they turned and headed out to the stairs again, swiping the card through the slot beside the door that led onto the next floor, and stepped through.  
  
The next level was Shinra's official library, which contained all their books relating to their weaponry, defence, Planet Study, and anything else they had a department of. One section of the library was even about space exploration, which seemed confusing to Cloud and his group since no one had ever made it into space, and didn't even know that Shinra had a Space Program.  
  
A single light was coming from a room at the far end of the library. With nowhere else to go, Cloud and his group went towards it. There was a large metal plate bolted onto the door, with the word 'MAYOR' engraved into the metal.  
  
Cloud glanced at Barret and Tifa. None of them had ever met the Mayor of Midgar before – in fact, not many people had seen him. Most people had probably forgotten by now that there ever was a mayor, since Shinra had most of the control in the city. Even so the mayor was an important person, and should be able to provide them with a key card to the higher levels. And if he wouldn't give it to them willingly... Barret loaded his gun. Cloud then pushed the door open.  
  
The inside of the office looked just like a librarian's office, and not the kind of room suitable for someone as important as the mayor. There were numerous boxes full of papers around, and files containing reports and other things. The mayor himself was sat in a chair at the far end of the room, mumbling quietly to himself as he looked over some documents. He looked up as he heard the door behind shut behind him, and looked at the three standing behind him, their weapons at the ready.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, and who might you be?" he asked of them. He stared for a few moments, eyeing over their weapons. He nodded slightly. "You all must be those... ahem..." He stopped himself just in time. "Me? I'm Domino, the Mayor of Midgar. Actually, I'm Mayor in name only. The city and everything in it's really run by Shinra, Inc. My only real job is watching over Shinra's documents... Me! The Mayor! A librarian!"  
  
He stopped as he saw the irritated faces of Cloud, Barret and Tifa glaring back at him. They had no time for idle chat with a man who was depressed about his job and what it had become, and they certainly had no time to hear his life story. Domino seemed to read this in their faces and nodded his head.  
  
"Ohh...... You want to get upstairs?" he assumed, folding his arms. "I'll tell you what, if you can guess the password, I'll give you my keycard. Yes, that's it. Guess the password and I'll give you my keycard! Get it on the first try and I'll even throw in a special item!"  
  
The three standing at the end of the room each raised an eyebrow. Domino sounded like he should be presenting a quiz show, and not being the Mayor of Midgar. They turned to one another and began to mutter quietly amongst themselves, trying to come up with something that could be the password. Without any clues it was a tough decision to make, and they could go on for hours just guessing passwords. And that was time they didn't have.  
  
While Tifa and Barret muttered quietly (arguing again as to whether Barret should just shoot the Mayor and take his keycard) Cloud looked around the office. There were papers strewn everywhere, but there was only one that caught his eye. It was a scientific report about Mako and Materia. The word Mako on the report had been circled in a bright red pen, along with a little drawing that he thought was the Mayor holding Mako in his hands. He tapped Tifa on the shoulder and pointed to it. Cloud then stood upright and turned to the Mayor.  
  
The mayor was waiting patiently. "Got it?" he asked. Cloud nodded. "Then tell me. So, what's the password?"  
  
Cloud glanced back at Barret and Tifa, before turning back to Domino. "Mako?" he asked.  
  
Domino stared blankly for a moment, before a large grin spread on his face. "MAKO!!" he exclaimed, his voice loud and joyous. "God, I love the sound of that! MAKO! If I had a lot more of it, I would be a real Mayor! ...Hmm. Well, okay. Here, take it." He pulled out his keycard, which was imprinted with the number '65', and handed it to Cloud. "I never thought you'd get it on the first try..." Domino admitted, scratching his head. "Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. Oh well, a promise is a promise. Take this, too."  
  
He delved into his pocket again and pulled out a small ball of materia. Judging by its colour Cloud guessed it was Elemental Materia, which was very useful in certain situations. He was about to ask Domino a question, but Domino answered it before he could even ask.  
  
"Why would I do something like this, you ask?" he said. He narrowed his eyes fiercely. "To mess with them, of course! Shinra's been torturing me forever. That's why I was a little rough on you all just now. Now go up there and really make them suffer. This ought to make us even! Heh heh heh......"  
  
Cloud and his friends quickly left the cackling Mayor, thinking he had maybe lost a few marbles while he had been cooped up in that office working for Shinra. They headed back to the stairs and used the high level keycard to make their way up towards level 65. They passed Level 63, which looked like some kind of maze; and Level 64, which was the gym and resting area.  
  
They stopped at Level 65 and looked around. It was a floor with a number of small rooms at the side around the perimeter, with one large room in the middle. From what they could see this floor was empty and they were free to move around. They headed into the large room.  
  
There was a large model built in the middle of the room, and it looked like a large model of the city of Midgar. It was identical in almost every way, including the layout of the plates and reactors. The model however was incomplete, as some pieces of the model, particularly those parts of the plates, were missing.  
  
"A model of Midgar..." Cloud breathed quietly as they all looked upon the model. "Born from Mako sucked right out of the earth."  
  
"Parts of the model are missing," Tifa pointed out, pointing at the empty slots in the model.  
  
Cloud turned to look behind him, where one part of the Midgar model was resting on the floor. He picked it up and began to place it in one of the Midgar model slots. It fitted in perfectly in the slot for the Sector 1 plate. There were more pieces scattered around the rest of the room, so the group all worked together to put the remaining slots in place.  
  
As they finished putting last piece in place (incidentally, the piece that represented the plate for Sector 7), a loud click could be heard from somewhere in the room.  
  
"...Sounds like something opened up..." said Cloud.  
  
He walked slowly around the edge of the Midgar model, looking down into the model for something that could have unlocked once they had finished putting in all the pieces. He stopped beside the unfinished section of the model that represented the only unfinished sector in Midgar, Sector 8. Curious, he reached inside the model. He felt around for a moment until his hand clasped around something small and rectangular, and he pulled it out.  
  
Sure enough, it was a keycard, imprinted with the number '66'. An employee must have dropped it in there during the model's construction, and it must have been there for a long time. However that didn't matter, and they quickly headed up towards the 66th floor, feeling certain that they were getting closer and closer to Aeris.  
  
The next floor was very busy and people were walking around everywhere. They were mainly secretaries carrying files to other offices, and inside the offices the other employees were working hard throughout the night. They were so busy with their own affairs they took no notice of Cloud and the others as they walked cautiously past them, looking for someone who looked like they had the authority to get up to the next levels, since it was also clear that Aeris was not being held on this floor.  
  
As they turned a corner towards the middle of the floor, they very abruptly came to a stop and pulled back behind the corridor. The President was just around the corner, along with more of his top employees, which was why they were forced to stop before they could be seen. They peered around the corner and watched as President Shinra and the rest of his employees walked into the large conference hall in the middle of the room, shutting the door firmly behind them.  
  
Cloud and his group stepped out into the corridor again, and stopped just outside the conference hall.  
  
"Now what?" Barret asked.  
  
"We need to hear what's going on in there," said Cloud. "Maybe we can find out where Aeris is." He looked at the locked door. "But how to get in there..."  
  
The three fell silent as they thought for a moment on a way to eavesdrop into the meeting that was going on in the room beyond. Tifa suddenly clicked her fingers.  
  
"I know!" she exclaimed, and before Cloud or Barret could ask her what it was, she turned and ran off away from them.  
  
They followed her as she ran around the corner and stopped at the end of the corner, just outside the floor toilets. She signalled for Cloud and Barret to follow her before she ran inside the toilets and out of sight. Cloud and Barret looked at each other blankly, and then followed her into the toilets.  
  
Tifa was standing in one of the cubicles at the end of the toilets, stood up on one of the toilets and fiddling with the latch of an overhanging grate that led into the air ducts that ran between each floor. Finally the latch came undone and Tifa pushed the grate up into the duct, and then she grabbed onto the sides and pushed herself up into the duct.  
  
Finally Cloud and Barret realised what Tifa was up to. The ducts ran between each floor, and there would be more grates opening out into other parts of the floor to ventilate them, including the conference room. Which meant that if they followed the ducts correctly, they would be able to see and hear directly into the conference room without being seen themselves. So they followed Tifa up into the duct.  
  
It was a very compact space, and Barret could only just fit with his large form. Tifa and Cloud fitted in quite easily, and began to navigate their way through the small maze of ducts towards the conference room. They soon found it and came to a stop around it, peering down into the conference room, where the meeting was about to begin.  
  
"Geez--!" exclaimed Barret. "That's a lotta suits!"

* * *

Emerald: Yes, I know I altered the whole Midgar model scene, but I thought that search like that was a little bit unbelievable and coincidental. I hope you guys don't mind. This should be the only 'author add-on' – I wanted to keep it as strictly novelistic as possible. Thanks for all the good reviews, by the way! I'll shut up now... 


	20. Part 01: Chapter 20

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty**

Cloud and the two surviving AVALANCHE members gazed down into the conference hall below, as the meeting was about to begin. President Shinra was sat in his own chair at the head of the table, a formal look on his face as they prepared to begin their discussion. All around him were some of his top executives, and Barret was right – there were a lot of suits.

Heidegger was one of the executives at the table, a very smug look on his hairy face. Clearly he was still pleased over their triumph in Sector 7, and most likely he still believed that they had wiped out AVALANCHE along with the rest of the people in Sector 7. Sat beside him was Palmer, a rather plump man with a jolly red face that seemed to stand out amongst the serious faces of the other executives around him. He was also a Shinra Executive, but unfortunately his department in the company was one that was ignored most times. Opposite Palmer was a woman known as Scarlet, dressed in a long silk red dress with one long slit spreading all the way up to her thigh to reveal most of her leg, and had blonde hair that was tied up behind her. Her face was caked in make up to mask her cold-hearted expression, although it didn't work for she just looked as cold as ever. And lastly there was Reeve sat opposite Heidegger. He still looked uncomfortable and concerned over the recent events that had occurred, but as usual no one took any notice of his fears.

Reeve began the meeting. "We have the damage estimates for Sector 7," he said to the President. "Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the damage is estimated at approximately 10 Billion gil… The estimated cost to rebuild Sector 7 is…"

"We're not rebuilding," President Shinra interrupted blankly.

Reeve blinked. "What?"

President Shinra picked up a glass of water from the table and sipped it. He closed his eyes as he spoke. "We're leaving Sector 7 as it is," he said. "And restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."

"…Then the Ancients?"

"The Promised Land will soon be ours," the President assured him, putting his glass back down on the table. He looked at Reeve. "I want you to raise the Mako rates 15% in every area."

"Rate hike! Rate hike! Tra, la, la!" Palmer sang loudly, jumping up and down in his chair excitedly like a little kid. He looked at the President with a childish, pleading expression. "And please include our Space Program in the budget!"

President Shinra closed his eyes again and smiled. "Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase."

All at once Palmer stopped jumping up and down and froze on his chair, his hopes suddenly dashed. He knew what that meant – his department would get no money from the income at all. If it was just Reeve in charge of dividing the income there was a chance, but the moment the President mentioned Scarlet's name that ended it all. Scarlet was a cold-hearted witch concerned only with lining her own pocket and pouring money into her own department, which meant that Palmer and his Space Program would get absolutely nothing.

"Oh man!" he wailed. He dropped his head pitifully down onto the desk and shook it as his dreams were crushed once again.

"Sir," Reeve said suddenly. "If you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence…"

"It'll be all right," President Shinra assured him knowingly. "The ignorant citizens won't lose confidence, they'll trust Shinra, Inc. even more!"

Heidegger laughed loudly, his coarse voice like a grater as he laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! After all, we're the ones who saved Sector 7 from AVALANCHE!" he taunted, and laughed again.

Up in the air duct above, Barret fumed angrily.

"That dirty #$$!" he cursed furiously. He looked just about ready to burst into the meeting and kill everyone in that conference room. Luckily he maintained just enough of his composure to restrain himself, and continued to look down into the meeting. Even so, his fist was shaking uncontrollably.

It was at that moment that the door to the conference hall opened as a man walked in, and Cloud and his two friends leaned down as far as they could to see who it was. He walked up to the end of the conference table and stopped.

He was obviously some kind of scientist, for he was wearing a long white lab coat that ran all the way down to his black shoes and almost dragged along the floor. His face was incredibly pale as though it had never seen any sunlight at all (he was probably cooped up in his laboratory all day!). His hair was black and long, brushed slickly back into a ponytail that ran down to his shoulders, and a set of large glasses covered his small eyes. He had a very emotionless and blank expression, but through the glasses there was a cold, callous expression in his eyes. As he entered, walking with his arms clasped behind his back, everyone on the conference hall looked at him expectantly.

"Hojo," said the President. "How's the girl?"

Hojo only glanced at the President. "As a specimen, she is inferior to her mother," he reported. He looked down again thoughtfully. "I'm still in the process of comparing her to her mother, Ifalna, but for now the difference is 18%."

"How long will the research take?"

Hojo stood upright and folded his arms in thought. "Probably 120 years," he answered finally after considering all the factors and procedures needed for his research. "It's probably impossible to finish in our lifetime. Or in the lifetime of the specimen too, for that matter." He turned back to the President and his executives. "That's why we're thinking of breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand our research for a long time."

"What about the Promised Land?" President Shinra asked. "Won't it hinder our plans?"

"That's what I need to plan," said Hojo. He turned away. "The mother is strong… and yet has her weaknesses." He covered his mouth with one hand as he chuckled darkly to himself, many plans hatching in his little mind.

President Shinra nodded. "That concludes our meeting," he said.

With that the president got up out of his chair and headed calmly towards the door, leaving the meeting room and his executives behind. Once he was out of the room the other executives stood up and began to leave the room one by one in silence.

Scarlet stopped suddenly while the others walked past her. She looked around and sniffed the air, before turning to the grate in the ceiling above her. Her lip curled in disgust, and the cold expression was clear on her face as if an arrow had pierced a calm and tranquil pool of water.

"Something stinks…" she muttered, her voice just as cold and unfeeling. Then she left the room, walking firmly on her high-heeled shoes. When she left she shut the door of the room behind her, and only then could Cloud and his group relax and breathe freely once again.

"They were talking about Aeris… right?" Cloud asked.

Barret shrugged. "I dunno."

"Probably," said Tifa.

Cloud looked back down into the empty briefing room. "Let's follow 'em," he said.

He began to clamber back through the air vents towards the grate where they had first climbed up, and dropped quietly back down into the empty toilets. Barret and Tifa followed him, and they walked out casually out of the toilets, as though they belonged, and headed back round to the front of the meeting room.

Before they stepped out into the corridor leading towards the stairs, Cloud and his group quickly came to a stop as they saw a familiar figure standing in the corridor, also heading towards the stairs. It was Hojo, the scientist from the meeting. He was walking casually towards the stairs, his arms hanging loosely behind his back, lost in thought as he walked.

"Hojo… huh…?" Cloud whispered.

He leaned in close to the wall of the meeting room and looked more closely at Hojo now that he was a little closer. He was fairly certain that Hojo had been talking about Aeris when he talked of her as a 'specimen' and when the president referred to 'the girl'. He remembered Elmyra saying that Aeris once said she and her mother, her real mother, escaped from some kind of science laboratory. He was therefore quite sure that Hojo had been the scientist in charge at the time, and would certainly know where Aeris was. He nodded to Barret and Tifa behind him, and the three of them slid out quietly into the corridor, trying to avoid being seen by Hojo, as well as avoid looking suspicious by the people walking around them.

They entered the stairway in time to see Hojo walking up the stairs away from them towards the next level, since someone of his important would surely have access to the higher levels.

Sure enough, as Hojo entered the next floor, he pulled the next key card out of his pocket and swiped it through the slot. The red light turned blue and the door opened, allowing Hojo through. Yet Hojo neglected to swipe the card to lock the door again, and simply left it wide open as he carried on. Which was just perfect for Cloud and his team as they followed him up onto the next level, and stopped just at the top of the stairs. This was the last set of stairs leading up, for everything else was super-restricted.

"I remember him," Barret said suddenly. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the floor. "That Hojo guy. He's in charge of Shinra's Science Department. Cloud, don't you know him?"

Cloud also crossed his arms thoughtfully, and shook his head. "This is the first time I've ever actually seen him," he admitted. He looked up at the ceiling. "So… that's what he looks like…"

They left the stairway and walked onto level 67 of the Shinra building. It was clear from the off that this was Shinra's most technical level. There were many closed off offices, but from within them came the sounds of computers and people talking, hard at work even through the night. This was the home of Shinra's Science Department, where Hojo worked.

Hojo was actually just a little way ahead of them, walking around to a small clearing filled with crates and tubes where he kept his prized specimens. As Hojo entered the clearing he walked straight up to one large glass cylinder that rose all the way to the ceiling like a lift, and peered inside of it. Cloud's group were only a few feet behind, but instead of charging in and demanding information from Hojo, they decided to wait and see what was happening. There was a large pile of crates in the corner of the clearing next to a large dome-shaped holding cell, and the group hid behind that to observe. They were just in time too, for just as they hid one of Hojo's assistants walked in and up to Hojo.

"Is this today's specimen?" he asked.

Hojo didn't even turn around. "Yes," he replied. "We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level."

His assistant nodded, before he turned and left to wherever the 'upper level' was. Once he was gone Hojo turned back to the glass shaft and peered again inside. His eyes seemed to light up for the first time as he looked inside at the creature that was held securely in there, seemingly very excited by his own genius. He reached out and gently tapped the side of the cell to get a reaction, but got nothing in return.

"My precious specimen…" he whispered, very fondly. He then stood firmly upright, and began to saunter out of the clearing.

Once he was gone, Cloud's team stepped out from behind their hiding place. Tifa walked right up to the glass shaft and peered at what was inside.

It was a very strange creature that seemed to resemble a red wolf or a very large dog. It had a strong, sturdy body with a firm coat of fiery red fur that was covered in scars, presumably from battle. Its face was rectangular, but it had a mouth full of ferociously sharp teeth that looked incredibly strong. It had a small mane of sorts around its head, but it wasn't very large. There was also a long scar covering one of its eyes, and it was blinded there, although it seemed to be quite aware all the same. It also had a long tail that was swaying gently behind it, with a furry tip that emitted a fiery glow. What was most peculiar about this creature was the tattoo it had on its left shoulder. A tattoo saying 'XIII' – thirteen. It looked at Tifa through its one good eye as she leaned in and tapped the glass gently.

"Precious specimen…?" the girl whispered softly as she looked at the creature sitting dolefully inside. She looked up. "Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?"

Neither Cloud nor Barret answered her, simply because the answer was obvious. Tifa's face cringed up painfully as she turned back to the creature, wishing with all her heart that there was some way she could save the poor creature from its fate.

While there was silence, Cloud slowly turned his head and glanced over at the peculiar dome beside them. It was made of an extremely thick metal, and the door was just as thick, with a single thick glass panel to enable others to see inside. There was a strange purple glow coming from within the dome. Cloud stared for a moment, and noticed a metal nameplate on the head of the door.

"Jenova…" he read. Curiously he walked over to the door and grabbed onto the rim of the window, pulling himself up to look inside.

The sight he was greeted with sent terrible cold and shocking chills down his spine, chilling his blood until it was like ice running through his veins. The creature contained inside was a misshapen mess, with a long body of flesh that seemed to thicken the lower down it got, and hideous lumps around its collarbones (if it had bones) that almost looked like eyes glaring back at him. There was nothing past its neck – its head had been cleanly removed. What was most terrifying of all was that it was pulsing slightly and moving a little – still alive, even without its head.

The shock of the sight made Cloud lose his grip on the window, where he dropped back down onto his feet. He stepped back, but already his knees were turning to jelly as he lost the feeling in the lower half of his body. A loud ring resonated loudly in his ears and he held his head tightly, unaware that his body was shaking uncontrollably. It was only as he fell to his knees and collapsed onto the floor that Tifa and Barret noticed, and Tifa ran to him quickly. Cloud tried to stand up as she approached, but his knees were still weak and he simply fell back into Tifa's arms.

"Jenova… Sephiroth's…" Cloud gasped, his voice faint and trembling. "So… they've brought it here."

"Cloud, be strong!" Tifa urged him. She wrapped her arms tightly around Cloud's shoulders, pressing his head against her chest. He was shaking badly, but was still strong enough to speak.

"Did you see it?" he asked.

"See what?" asked Barret.

"It's moving… still alive?"

Barret turned to the dome and looked at the door. He then walked over and peered silently into the dome. His eyes opened wide and he jumped back fiercely, just as shocked by the creature.

"Where's its $#&& head!?" he shouted angrily, waving his arms around. He stopped jumping and waved to Cloud and Tifa. "This whole thing's stupid. Let's keep goin'."

The group turned and left the dome containing the hideous headless creature, and deeper into the clearing. They were sure that they were close to Aeris – they could almost feel her light-hearted, happy presence beside them.

Hojo had talked about moving the wolf-like creature to the 'upper level', which the group presumed to be the next floor up, Level 68 of the Shinra building. The only way up to the higher floors now was through the lift and the key cards, and they had no doubt that Hojo was the only one on this floor with such access, so there was no use them trying to get a key card from anyone else on this level. However this part of the level was a storage space, so they figured that there must be some way of moving the crates and specimen cages up without using the lift.

Sure enough, there was a way just a little further into the clearing. There was an old-style lift in the far corner, which was just a metal platform within a grated cage, with a pulley to pull the lift up towards the higher levels. The group immediately piled onto it. Once they were all safely inside Tifa pulled the old rusty gates shut, and Barret and Cloud began to pull on the pulley. There was a loud grating sound as the lift began to move jerkily upwards, little by little, towards the floor above.

As they finally reached the top, Barret secured the pulley in the hinges to stop it from dropping down back to the floor below. Tifa then forced the old, rusty gates open, letting in a bright wave of light from the floor they were on. One by one they piled out, and stared at the sights that awaited them.

Cloud opened his eyes wide.

"Aeris!"


	21. Part 01: Chapter 21

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted, almost running forward in delight and in horror.

Hojo was standing just a few metres away from him, on a small path that led away from the control panel where his assistant was stood, protected by a thick panel of glass as he worked the controls of the main structure of the room.

Right in the centre of the room was another large glass shaft, built so it lay directly on top of the one in the room below them. Aeris was within this glass chamber, sat in silence with a doleful look on her face as she waited for the experiments to be carried out. At the sound of Cloud's voice she looked up, as did Hojo and his assistant. They stared at Cloud and his two friends in surprise, for they had not heard anyone enter.

"Aeris?" Hojo asked blankly. He then slowly glanced at Aeris inside the glass cage, and nodded his head. "Oh, is that her name? What do you want?"

"We're taking Aeris back," Cloud answered. He reached behind him and took hold of the handle of his sword, ready to fight if Hojo resisted them and refused to free her.

But Hojo didn't resist, or even react emotionally to Cloud's reply. Instead he merely turned his gaze back to Aeris. "Outsiders…" he murmured quietly. Even his voice didn't seem to show much emotion or fear to their presence.

"Shoulda noticed it earlier, you…"

Hojo sighed heavily, interrupting the beginning of Barret's angry tirade. "There's so many frivolous things in this world," was all he could say. Cloud stared at him curiously for a moment or two, wondering what he meant by 'frivolous things'. He never got the chance to ask him though, for Barret suddenly ran forward and raised his gun-arm up, pointing it straight at Hojo. The scientist stared at him expressionless for a few moments. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked, his voice also emotionless. "I don't think you should. The equipment here is extremely delicate. Without me, who would operate it? Hmm?"

"Ugh," Cloud growled angrily. As much as he hated to admit it, Hojo had a point.

A small, flickering smile appeared at the corner of Hojo's mouth. He knew he had them stumped there. "That's right," he said. "I recommend you think things out logically before making any rash moves." He turned to his assistant behind the glass, while Aeris climbed to her feet within the chamber. "Now, bring in the Specimen!"

Before anyone could stop him, Hojo's assistant reached out and pressed one of the buttons on his control panel in front of him. A gentle humming sound came from within the glass shaft where Aeris was contained, and everyone turned to it as the centre of the cell opened up, revealing a long hole that led into the shaft below. The humming became louder, and Aeris stepped back nervously as she waited to see what was going to happen.

As she watched, a circular panel rose up into the centre of the room, carrying the peculiar wolf-creature up with it. As Aeris's gaze fell on the creature's sharp red claws and fierce white fangs her eyes opened wide and she jumped back in a fright, pressing her body against the wall of the shaft. The creature met her gaze at the same time, and its tail rose up and stiffened, shaking angrily as it growled and snarled at the poor girl, eyeing her over as though she was prey. Hojo watched from the outside, for the first time a real smile appearing on his face. It was as though he was gaining enjoyment from seeing the two together.

Gaining her courage, Aeris quickly ran to the end of the shaft and began to pound it as hard as she could. She looked at Cloud with a look of pure terror on her face, filled with the fear of being mauled by this apparently ferocious creature.

"Cloud, help!" she pleaded, her voice muffled from within the chamber. The creature behind her roared fiercely, and Aeris screamed once more. Her face was as pale as a ghost, and the creature looked ready to lunge at any second.

Cloud turned to Hojo angrily. "What do you think you're doin'?" he demanded of the scientist.

Hojo blinked as though the answer was blindingly obvious, and looked at Cloud. "Lending a helping hand to an endangered species…" he replied simply. He waved a hand towards Aeris and the wolf-creature in the chamber. "Both of them are on the brink of extinction… If I don't help, all these animals will disappear."

"…Animal? That's terrible" Tifa shouted, glaring at Hojo, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Aeris is a human being!" Hojo looked back at her, undeterred by her anger or protests. Instead he merely shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the spectacle of fear within the glass chamber.

"You're gonna pay!" Barret roared.

Cloud snapped round to Barret. "Barret!" he said. "Can't you do anything?"

Barret thought for a moment. There was nothing he wanted more than to use his gun to blow Hojo away into oblivion, but he knew that killing Hojo would not get Aeris away from the terrible claws of the creature preparing to attack her. He then clicked his fingers as he had an idea. They might have needed Hojo to operate the controls, but they didn't need the chamber itself.

"Awright!!" he shouted, determined. "Step back!" Cloud and Tifa stepped back out of the way as Barret raised his gun-arm and aimed for the thick glass surrounding the shaft. Hojo's eyes opened wide as he realised what Barret was about to do.

"Stop!" he pleaded.

He was far too late by then. As he spoke Barret opened fire and unleashed wave after wave of bullets at the glass. There were loud bangs as some of the bullets rebounded away from the glass and towards the floor around them, but some of the bullets slammed hard into the glass and dug straight in, beginning to weaken it and cause it to crack, little by little.

He was forced to stop as a much louder hum began to emanate from the inside of the chamber. A bright glow began to emit from the inside, and the last they saw of Aeris inside the chamber was as she shielded her eyes from the bright light before she fell to her knees and towards the ground. Hojo's cried out fearfully and ran forward, brushing rudely past Barret towards the door of the chamber.

"Wh… what are you do—Oh!" he wailed, pressing his hands against the door of the chamber, which was warm from the intense glow emanating inside of it. He fell to his knees as he looked into the light. "My precious specimens…"

Recovering, Hojo quickly climbed back up to his feet and pressed a button on the side of the door. The door came out about an inch or so before sweeping to the side, revealing the interior. The bright glow faded as the excess energy was released, and Hojo looked ahead to see what was inside – right in the fierce and bloodthirsty eyes of the very angry wolf-creature that was looking back at him. Before Hojo could step back the creature lunged at him, flying out of the chamber. He landed right on Hojo's chest, and the two fell back onto the path behind them. Hojo cried out in fright as the creature dug its muzzle right into him, trying to bite his neck.

Cloud turned to the chamber. "Now's our chance to get Aeris!" he called, and ran into the chamber while Barret and Tifa watched the creature mauling Hojo fiercely.

Aeris was sat at the other end of the chamber, sat up as though she had been carefully dragged from the floor. She looked up as Cloud knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. A happy smile appeared on her face as she looked into Cloud's eyes, seeming very relieved to see him. Cloud reached out, and she took his hand gladly as he pulled her up to her feet.

"Thanks, Cloud," she said. She then ran out of the chamber to where Tifa was waiting for her, and she helped her down and took her away from the glass shaft.

Cloud was about to follow her when the circular platform in the centre of the shaft suddenly moved down towards the floor below. He heard it stop, and then move again, this time back up. He looked down, but he could only see darkness from within the shaft.

"Cloud… What's wrong?" asked Tifa.

Cloud looked back at her and Aeris. "The elevator's moving," he said.

The wolf-creature that was busy mauling Hojo suddenly stopped and stepped back away from him. Hojo sat up, his face pale and shaking, but he was not hurt, for the creature had not hurt him at all, and simply mauled his face gently to instigate fear. Hojo looked at the elevator fearfully, seeming more afraid of it than the creature in front of him.

"This is no ordinary specimen," he warned them. "This is a very ferocious specimen!"

The wolf creature turned. "He's rather strong," it said. "I'll help you all out."

Barret, Cloud, Tifa and Aeris all stared at the wolf in absolute amazement. They couldn't believe it, but the creature had just talked. The creature looked around at them as though nothing was strange.

"It talked!" Tifa exclaimed, her eyes wide and staring.

The wolf turned to look at her. Its eyes seemed to have softened now that it was done attacking Hojo, and seemed to almost have a civil, curious expression. "I'll talk as much as you want later, Miss," he replied politely.

While the others stared in amazement, Cloud ran out of the cell and onto the path in front of the creature. "We'll take care of that monster," he said. "Somebody take Aeris somewhere safe…" He looked around, and then finally turned to Tifa. "Tifa, I'm counting on you!"

Tifa nodded, and she grabbed hold of Aeris's wrist and began to pull her sharply towards the far end of the floor to hide behind the controls where Hojo's assistant was still quivering in fear. Once they were safely out of sight, Cloud turned to the wolf creature, which looked back at him.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Hojo has named me Red XIII," he replied. He closed his eyes. "A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish."

Cloud slowly nodded his head. Maybe the number was irrelevant, but the name 'Red' suited him quite well, what with his red fur and all. He couldn't say anything else, for at that moment the lift finally came to a stop and revealed the monster standing on it. The three all prepared for battle, with Red flexing his long claws and baring his teeth, snarling angrily as the monster stepped up off the platform and looked at them all.

Red XIII had been right – it was an extremely strong looking monster, and certainly looked ferocious like Hojo said. It was much taller than the group with powerful arms and legs. As it rose off the platform three smaller creatures hovered around it – its personal minions.

The wolf known as Red XIII charged forward and lunged through the air towards one of the smaller minions. He attacked with all four paws at once, digging in his sharp claws and tearing into the creature's body. Loud, high-pitched squeals came from the creature as Red XIII clawed and gnawed at it, until it fell silent. Red XIII then dropped back and turned towards the next one, and lunged once again towards the next creature as it stood nearby, while Cloud and Barret focused their attention on the main monster.

Cloud ran in first with his sword held high, and swiped at the creature's thick, leathery skin. The blade slid in fairly easily and Cloud continued to run, pulling the sword against its skin and cutting a large, gaping slit in its side. The monster didn't flinch and turned its ugly head to look down at Cloud, before throwing out one of its arms and striking Cloud as he ran past. The ex-SOLDIER went flying across the room, before falling to the ground and rolling across the floor.

While he was distracted with Cloud, Barret raised his gun and fired at the creature's already open wound, and more blue-green blood began to pour from its insides and down its body. The creature growled and snarled angrily at Barret.

It opened its mouth wide and spat out a large green bubble towards the AVALANCHE leader. Barret hurriedly dodged to the side, avoiding the bubble as it sailed past him and splashed onto the floor, with smoke rising from it. It was a poison or an acid of sorts, and looked deadly. He didn't have much time to rest however, for another green bubble was flying towards him, and he only just moved out of the way in time before it fell onto the floor.

Red XIII looked up from where he was stood after finishing mauling the third and final minion, and saw Barret dodging the green bubbles of poison that were falling his way. He left the twitching body of the minion and charged forward angrily, his teeth glittering as he snarled furiously. As he approached he coiled the springy muscles in his hind legs and leaped upwards, releasing the springs and rising high up into the air.

He landed on the monster's back and dug his claws deep into its flesh. He used them as footholds to pull himself up the creature's back until he was at his head and his neck was bare. Red XIII immediately let himself go, sinking his teeth into the creature's neck. The monster roared in pain and reached up. He grabbed hold of Red XIII and pulled him harshly, throwing him hard through the air. He slammed into Barret, and the two fell back onto the floor.

Tifa and Aeris could only cower and watch as the battle continued, safe from their hiding place just under the bridge leading to the control panel. They watched helplessly as Cloud stood up and put his sword back behind his back, preparing to use magic. One of the two Materia balls he owned began to glow, and a long bolt of lightning fired down from the ceiling and struck the creature's body. It shuddered violently, and turned around to face him. That was when Cloud had an idea. He turned towards Barret and Red XIII.

"Barret! Red XIII! Attack him now!" he called to them.

Red XIII did as Cloud said and charged forward. He leaped up onto the monster's chest and began to claw and bite him fiercely, and jumped away as the monster tried to swipe him off again. Barret then fired his gun at the monster, his bullets expanding the already open wounds that covered the creature's body. The monster screeched loudly, with blood pouring from every wound on its body.

That was when Cloud took his chance and ran forward, pulling his sword back out from its holster behind him. The blade glittered in the light as he ran forward, preparing to strike.

While he ran forward, Cloud began to utilise the powers of both the Lightning Materia and the new Elemental Materia he had placed in the slots of his sword. The two balls of materia glowed intensely as they activated together, and small sparks of electricity began to flicker over the metal blade of Cloud's sword. The sparks grew in strength and intensity, until Cloud's sword became a flickering mass of powerful electric sparks.

The monster turned to Cloud just in time to see him strike. Cloud raised his blade high and brought it down with all his strength, digging the blade deep into its skin and cutting it down as far as he could go. The electric sparks that covered his sword grew and spread over the monster's body. In a flash the sparks erupted into a fierce ball of light, and the monster became alive with electric sparks. Cloud withdrew his sword. The monster raised its head high and squealed in agony, its body being fried by the electricity that enveloped it. Then, with a final bang, the electric sparks exploded, and the monster gave one final roar before the light consumed it.

When the light faded, there was nothing left of the monster. It had been completely evaporated by the electricity, and nothing remained of it. Cloud lowered his sword, and Barret and Red XIII also relaxed. Only then did Aeris and Tifa dare to step out from their hiding place and run towards Barret, Cloud and Red XIII. There was no sign of Hojo or his assistant – they had fled once the monster appeared.

"Aeris, are you all right?" Cloud asked Aeris as she ran up.

"She seems all right…" Tifa replied, glancing at the cheerful smile on Aeris's face. "In many ways," the woman added.

Red XIII sat back on his haunches and closed his red eyes. "I have a right to choose, too," he said. "I don't like two-legged things."

"What are you?" asked Barret.

Red XIII turned his head to look at Barret. "An informed question. But difficult to answer," he replied. He looked down at himself. "I am what you see… You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way."

Aeris walked forward towards Cloud, a thankful look on her face. "Cloud…" she said, her voice soft. "So you did come for me."

Red XIII suddenly jumped up over the rail of the path where he stood, and landed near to Aeris. The young woman jumped back in a fright, still a little scared of this peculiar talking wolf creature. But as Red XIII looked back at her with an apologetic look, she calmed a little.

"I apologise for what happened back there," he said regretfully. "I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard."

"Now we've saved Aeris," Barret interrupted, trying to get them all back on track. "Ain't no need to be in this buildin'! So let's get the hell outta here!"

Cloud folded his arms thoughtfully. "If all five of us go together, we'll be noticed," he pointed out. He looked up at the group. "Let's break up into two groups. Aeris, you go with Tifa. Barret and Red XIII, come with me."

"We'll be going first," said Tifa. "Meet at the 66th Floor Elevator."

Aeris nodded. "I'll see you later!!" she said, giving the boys a cheery wave. "We'll be waiting at the 66th Floor Elevator."

And with that, Tifa and Aeris both turned and ran off towards the storage elevator at the end of the room, and headed back down towards Level 67 to head towards the Level 66 elevator, where they could head back down to level 59 and out of the Shinra Building. Barret wasn't looking forward to that long haul back down that long flight of stairs, but it was the only way they could escape without being seen by Shinra.

A few minutes later Cloud and his new group made their own move, and quietly headed back down the elevator towards the science labs. It was still very quiet, which meant that no one had heard their escapades on the upper floor. So no one paid any attention to them as they moved through the area, and back down the stairs towards Level 66, the meeting area. Once there they quickly but quietly dashed towards the lift.

One by one the three piled into the elevator, which was quite a squeeze with Red XIII's four-legged form. Before they could press the button to take them back down the lift door slid open again, and a figure walked in behind them, stepping right up behind Cloud.

Cloud turned in time to see the tall figure standing in front of him. He was dressed in a smart blue suit with his shirt tucked in, and had a pair of black shades covering his eyes. His head was bald, and he looked at Cloud with a very stern and serious expression on his face. Cloud was a little intimidated by the man standing so close to him, but tried not to show it.

"H, hey!" Cloud exclaimed. "What is it?"

The man looked at Cloud blankly through his shades and said nothing. He then raised one hand and pointed upwards.

"Would you press 'Up' please?" he said.

Cloud then realised. The blue suit… the shades… the callous expression… All trademarks of the Turks.

"Turks? Must be a trap…" cursed Cloud.

The smartly dressed Turk then moved to the side out of the way, and another figure walked in. It was Tseng, the leader of the Turks. He entered the tightly packed lift with a large, smug smile on his face as he looked at the group in front of him.

"It must have been a real thrill for you…" he said sinisterly. "Did you enjoy it?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Ggh…"


	22. Part 01: Chapter 22

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Cloud walked along in silence behind the smartly dressed Turk, who was known as Rude. His wrists ached from the metal handcuffs that had been locked tightly around them, but there was no use asking for them to be slackened. The Turks never cared for the suffering of others – in fact they preferred it when their prisoners were suffering.

All around him was the rest of the group, walking in single file towards the top floor of the Shinra Building. Tifa was walking solemnly in front, her wrists locked in handcuffs behind her. Barret was behind, with his own wrists cuffed, although it was a tight squeeze with his gun-arm in the way. Red XIII was also with them at the very back; although since he was a four-legged creature it was impossible to cuff him. So Tseng was at the very back watching him, and making sure no one made an attempt to escape. The only person who was not amongst the group was Aeris. She was nowhere to be seen, and hadn't been seen since she and Tifa had been caught when they arrived at the lift, captured before Cloud and the others. Rude led the way, and onto the 70th floor, which was the president's personal office.

President Shinra was waiting for them in his office, sat behind his desk and waiting expectantly. The look on his face said everything – he knew the group had been in the building all along, and had only waited until they were escaping – when they thought they were safe – to capture them. Rude and Tseng led the group into the office and lined them all up in front of the president. Cloud looked around at the others.

"You all got caught, too?" he assumed. He then noticed that Aeris was not amongst them, and turned sharply to President Shinra. "Where is Aeris!?"

"In a safe place," President Shinra replied simply, and got up out of his chair. "She's the last surviving Ancient..." he said to them. He began to walk around his large desk towards them. "Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra, and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."

Red XIII pricked up his ears. "Cetra..." he repeated thoughtfully, and looked at the president. "That girl, is she a survivor of the Cetra?"

"Cetra, or the Ancients, will show us the way to the 'Promised Land'," said the President. He came to a stop at the other end of the desk, right in front of the group, and looked at them with a knowing smile on his face. "I'm expecting a lot out of her."

"The Promised Land? Isn't that just a legend?" asked Red XIII.

The Shinra president shrugged his shoulders dismissively and turned away from Red XIII. "Even so," he said. "It's just too appealing not to pursue. It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile... If the land is fertile..."

Barret narrowed his eyes. "Then there's gotta be Mako!" he exclaimed.

President Shinra nodded. "Exactly. That is why our money-sucking Mako Reactor is necessary," he explained. He turned away from them all and looked up admirably towards the window, where the night sky could be seen through the thick, soundproof glass, as well as the dark land that surrounded Midgar. "The abundant Mako will just come out on its own. This is where Neo-Midgar will be built." He spread his arms wide. "Shinra's new glory..."

"$#%!" Barret swore loudly. "Quit dreamin'!"

President Shinra turned to him. "Oh really, don't you know?" he asked. "These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power." He smiled at Barret's furious face, pleased by his anger. He then turned away again and looked back outside. "Well, that is all for our meeting."

At his words Rude of the Turks ran from the back of the group and stood firmly between them and President Shinra, a stern and commanding expression on his face.

"Come on!" he ordered. "Outta his way!"

Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII all slowly turned and began to walk away, following Tseng as he led them back downstairs towards their cells. Only Barret stayed exactly where he was, his face twitching in his anger as he glared defiantly and furiously at President Shinra.

"Hold it!" he raged. "I got a lot I wanna say to you!"

He tried to walk forward to the President, but Rude very quickly stepped in his way and blocked his path, preventing him from getting anywhere near the President. Barret tried to force himself forward, but Rude simply put his hands out and pushed Barret forcefully back. With Barret's arms chained he couldn't fight back, and could only shout out in rage as Rude pushed him away from the President and down the stairs after his friends. Once they were gone President Shinra turned away, before glancing back towards the door.

"If you need anything else... talk to my secretary," he said, and headed back to his desk.

* * *

Following their final meeting with the Shinra President, Cloud and his friends had all been locked away in cells on the 67th floor of the Shinra Building – the science department level. There was a special area at the back of the department where prisoners and subjects were held, either to await trial or experimentation.

Right then Cloud and his friends were locked in those cells. They had been split up from each other, with Cloud and Tifa in one cell, and Barret and Red XIII in another adjacent one. Unknown to them, Aeris was also locked in one of those cells, with her cell right next door to Cloud and Tifa's. She was lying quietly back on her bed whilst looking up at the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts. In Cloud and Tifa's cell Tifa was sat silently on the bed looking worried, while Cloud stood nearby, thinking hard of a way they could get out of the mess they had landed themselves in. But he couldn't think of anything, since the doors were very secure and only the guards had the keys to unlock them.

Over in Barret and Red XIII's cell, things were just as quiet. Barret was sat on a chair with his arms resting on his knees, his head down in deep thought. His temper had calmed now, after a long tirade of banging on the metal door of the cell, even though it didn't get him anywhere. Red XIII was lying peacefully on the ground next to him, his tail swaying slightly across the floor. His eyes looked almost sad, as though he was also lost in his own deep thoughts. He was just about to close his eyes and try to sleep when Barret suddenly looked up and began to speak, breaking the long period of silence.

"Hey!" he said. Red XIII opened one eye and looked up at him blankly. "Aeris is an Ancient and the real name of the Ancients is Cetra. The Ancients know where the Promised Land is and the Shinra is searching for that Promised Land. I only heard stories 'bout the Promised Land. I don't know if it really exists. Is that right?" Red XIII nodded his head, and Barret continued. "The Shinra believe that the Promised Land is full of Mako energy. Which means, if the Shinra get there they'll suck up all the Mako energy... and the land'll wither away. The Planet's gonna get weaker." With a start he stood up, kicking his chair back and making Red XIII jump. "I can't just leave 'em be. I'm recruitin' new members!! Me, Tifa, Cloud... and Aeris too. How 'bout you?"

He looked at Red XIII expectantly, expecting him to be just as enthusiastic and pumped up as he was at the thought of beating the Shinra altogether. But Red XIII didn't even reply, nor look up at Barret. He just slowly climbed to his feet and sauntered off to the other end of the cell, before lying back down and facing away from Barret. Barret slumped back in his chair and folded his arms.

"You're so damn boring," he commented.

Again Red XIII didn't reply or look at Barret. He swished his tail softly against the floor, and sighed heavily.

"......Grandpa," he mumbled softly.

Barret blinked. "Grandpa!?" he exclaimed. "Ha, ha, ha......" He quickly put a hand over his mouth as Red XIII turned his head round to look at him, but Barret couldn't suppress the giggles. "Grandpa, hmm... ha, ha, ha..."

"What's so funny?" Red XIII asked him.

"Nothin'... ha, ha."

In Aeris's cell, Aeris was still lying back on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She had her eyes closed for the moment, listening hard to the gentle soft sounds that no one else could hear. The sounds were very faint and she could hardly hear them, but they were there nonetheless. After a moment or two she slowly opened her eyes and sat up, feeling the sudden presence that she had been trying to find. She looked at the wall beside her.

"Cloud, are you there?"

Over in Cloud's cell, Cloud suddenly jumped violently, amazed to hear Aeris's muffled voice coming from the neighbouring cell. He ran to the wall and pressed his head against it, trying to hear Aeris's voice more closely. Tifa just watched as she lay back on the bed, just as amazed to hear Aeris's voice.

"Aeris!?" Cloud exclaimed. "You safe?"

"Yeah, I'm all right," the young woman replied. She gently swung her legs over the side of the bed until her feet felt the floor, and looked back at the wall. "I knew that Cloud would come for me."

"Hey, I'm your bodyguard right?"

Aeris got up and stood in the middle of the floor. She turned back to the wall with a smirk on her face. "The deal was for one date, right?"

That immediately caught Tifa's attention. She bolted upright and glared at the wall furiously. "......Oh, I get it," she said.

Aeris jumped violently. "...!? Tifa!" she exclaimed, her face turning bright red, and she was glad that Cloud and Tifa couldn't see it. "Tifa, you're there too!" On the other side Tifa climbed to her feet and stood beside Cloud.

"EXCUSE me," she said indignantly. "You know, Aeris. I have a question."

"What?" was Aeris's nervous reply.

"Does the Promised Land really exist?"

Aeris lowered her head to look at the floor as she thought for a moment, temporarily surprised by the question. She had expected Tifa to be angry at her statement, or at least ask what was going on. Instead she had chosen to ask this question. She knew why, for she also knew what Shinra's true intentions were with the Promised Land. When she was a child she had been brought up hearing that Shinra wanted to use the Promised Land to bring happiness to the world, but she knew that was never true. She had no intention of helping them find it either, but, in reality, she didn't actually know whether it truly existed or not.

"...I don't know," she admitted, voicing her thoughts. She raised her head and looked up at the ceiling, imagining the night sky that hung over Midgar. "All I know is... The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and unlock the Planet. And... then... The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness."

Tifa tilted her head, confused. "...What does that mean?" she asked.

"More than words... I don't know."

"...Speak with the Planet?" asked Cloud, and Tifa sat back down on the bed behind him, pulling her legs up to her chest in thought.

"Just what does the Planet say?" she asked.

Aeris slowly shook her head. That was what she had been trying to do before she sensed that Cloud was nearby, but she had been unable to hear anything from the Planet. "It's full of people and noisy," she said to them. "That's why I can't make out what they are saying."

"You hear it now?"

Again Aeris looked down at the ground, and closed her brown eyes. "I, I only heard it at the Church in the slums," she admitted. She pictured the peaceful church in her mind, and smiled gently as she remembered the beautiful flowers that grew there. "Mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is... my real mother," she added quickly. She sat back down on the bed, staring at the floor. "Someday I'll get out of Midgar... Speak with the Planet and find my Promised Land. That's what mom said. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but..."

Her voice began to choke a little as she thought of her real mother, and she covered her mouth. Cloud could hear her gentle sobs through the wall, and stepped away. Aeris couldn't say anymore without bursting into tears. He turned to Tifa, who nodded her head.

"Let's just get some sleep," he said. He sat down beside the wall and closed his eyes.

* * *

Cloud didn't know how long he slept for, or remember what he dreamed about. All he remembered from his sleep was a lot of shouting and screaming, before it all fell silent and he finally woke up. He couldn't even believe he had managed to fall asleep, but all the events of the day and evening had taken a toll. Tifa was still fast asleep on the bed in front of him, sleeping peacefully. Cloud rubbed his eyes and looked around the rest of the cell, and jumped as his eyes fell on the door.

The door to the cell was wide open to reveal the corridor beyond, with the red light changed to a calm and gentle blue. Cloud blinked and stared for a few moments, since the door had been securely locked when they had fallen asleep.

"The door's open..." he mumbled sleepily to himself as he got up off the floor. "When did it open?"

Cautiously he walked out of the cell, looking around warily in case it was some sort of trap and a bunch of Shinra guards were waiting to shoot him. But as he stepped out he saw nothing apart from the rest of the cells, all of which were locked. Only his and Tifa's cell was unlocked, but there was no one around guarding it. Cloud turned and looked down the corridor, where he got his second shock.

There was a Shinra guard at the end of the corridor, but he was not on guard. He was lying in a heap on the floor, his gun at his side, but he was not asleep. He couldn't see the guard's face, but Cloud could just about picture how he looked.

"What happened?" he wondered aloud. He ran back into the unlocked cell and ran to Tifa's side, beginning to gently shake her to wake her up. "Tifa... Wake up!"

After a few shakes Tifa opened her eyes and looked up at Cloud sleepily. "What's wrong?" she asked as she sat up. She got up off the bed and looked at Cloud's face. He was slightly pale, as though something had shook him up.

Cloud nodded his head towards the door. "Something's wrong. Look outside."

Tifa turned to the door and stared in amazement as she saw that it was unlocked. She did as Cloud told her and looked outside. When her eyes fell on the guard at the far end of the corridor she gasped loudly and began to run to him, with Cloud close behind her. They both ran to the guard, and Tifa kneeled. She reached out and gently turned the guard onto his back, when she squealed again.

The guard's face held an expression that depicted an image of pure terror and fear. His skin had turned to sheet white, and his eyes were wide open, his pupils dilated as they had locked onto something unimaginably terrible. His jaw was locked half open in mid-scream, and already his body could hardly be moved he was so frozen. He had seen something so terrible that it had made his blood run cold and killed him on the spot – he had died of pure terror.

"I wonder what happened..." Tifa said, her voice trembling as she lay the guard back down on the floor.

Cloud knelt down beside her. "He should have the key on him..." he said. Tifa watched him with one hand over her mouth to stop her being sick as Cloud rummaged around in the dead guard's pockets until he found the keys to the other cells. Tifa was unable to take her eyes off the guard's fear-stricken face as Cloud pulled off one of the keys and held it out to her. "Come on, Tifa, get Aeris," he told her. "I'll go help Barret and the others."

For a second Tifa couldn't do anything – she was so panic-stricken over the look of fear in the guard's face. She suddenly shook her head as she snapped out of her trance and took the key from Cloud before getting up and running to Aeris's cell, unlocking the door and running inside to wake the girl. Cloud meanwhile ran to the cell on the other side to his and Tifa's, where Barret and Red XIII were being held. He unlocked the door and ran in. They were also asleep, but began to stir as Cloud ran into the room.

"Barret, Red XIII... come with me," Cloud said urgently as they looked at him. "Something's wrong."

Barret glared at Cloud. "How'd you get in?" he demanded, and looked at the open door. "Why's the door open!?"

He jumped to his feet and ran out of the door, getting his gun ready to kick some Shinra butt and make their escape out of the Shinra building. He came to an abrupt stop as he saw the frozen guard lying in a heap at the end of the corridor, and ran over to him. Cloud and Red XIII followed him and stopped behind Barret.

"The hell's goin' on!?" Barret roared furiously as he looked at the guard.

Red XIII shook his head. "No human could've done this," he commented. He walked past Barret and Cloud towards the corridor leading back into the main part of the floor, where he stopped and turned back. "I'll go on ahead," he told them, and with that he turned and ran off towards the rest of the floor.

"I'll clean up back here, so you guys go on ahead," said Barret. Cloud nodded and turned away to get Aeris and Tifa, but Barret quickly turned his head. "And don't get caught by Shinra!"

Cloud ignored Barret and ran into the cell where Tifa was with Aeris. Aeris had her hand over her mouth in shock as Tifa told her about the guard lying dead outside, and looked extremely relieved as Cloud ran in.

"Come on, let's follow Red XIII!" Tifa said.

They left Barret behind to move the stone cold guard out of sight as they headed after Red XIII deeper into the science level. As they walked along they realised that the rest of the level was just as quiet as the cells were. In fact it was deadly silent, and there were no sounds from the workrooms around them.

They soon found out why everything was so silent. As they stepped out of the corridor and back into the main part of the floor they saw the many bodies of workers lying dead, each one frozen in terror. All the secretaries, all the technicians, everybody was dead. Cloud, Tifa and Aeris stared in confusion, wondering what had happened to make everyone on the floor drop down dead.

Red XIII was a little further ahead, next to the clearing where the dome-shaped cell was built. He was standing beside one of Hojo's assistants who were lying on the floor beside the cell, also dead, but that was not the reason why Red XIII had his tail as straight as a pole and growling fiercely. The others looked up, and Cloud opened his eyes wide.

The door to the Jenova cell had been burst open from the inside, and its contents gone. The door had been almost blown from its hinges, leaving a large gaping hole. It was dark inside the dome now, but that was not the most terrifying thing. There was a large pool of blood around the door, blood that did not belong the assistant. The blood lay in a large puddle and was moving away from the door in a long red streak, as though something large and heavy had moved away from the door and around the corner to the lift. There was also a thick, heavy scent of flesh in the air, which was why Red XIII was growling. He didn't like the smell he was getting from the air.

"Did it get away?" Cloud asked, looking through the empty door of the cell. There was more blood inside the cell, but no sign of the creature that had been trapped inside. "Jenova...?"

"Jenova Specimen," Red XIII growled. He turned towards the lift, where the blood streak ran. "Looks like it went to the upper floor using that elevator for the specimens."

He began to run again, following the trail of blood towards the lift. Cloud, Tifa and Aeris followed him, and they all piled into the lift. The blood was thicker inside the lift, and they had no choice but to stand in it as the lift went up towards the experimental level of the building.

As they reached the next floor and piled out, Red XIII immediately ran forward towards yet another dead body that was lying in a slump in the middle of the room, right beside the trail of blood that continued to slide away from them towards a door at the far end of the room. The body belonged to Hojo's first assistant, the one who had helped Hojo with Aeris and Red XIII. Now he was dead, and the trail of blood moved on, not stopping or fading, through the door.

"It looks like it leads up..." said Red XIII.

The four of them continued to head up, following the trail of blood as it led around to the hidden area of Level 68. It led right to another set of stairs that led to the higher levels, where they had been taken to meet President Shinra after their capture. The locked doors had been burst open at the top, with the blood moving relentlessly through.

Level 69 was the main secretarial floor, and had been very busy when Cloud and his friends had moved through the last time. Now, however, there was a different scene. Each and every one of the secretaries that had been working were now dead, their bodies all twisted and mauled as though something ferocious had attacked them, while others simply died in fear. The trail of blood continued to move on two the twin sets of stairs that curled round and headed up to the very final floor of the Shinra building – the president's office. Cloud looked around at his friends, before they ran up to the final level, their weapons at the ready, ready to face whatever danger was awaiting them at the top. They ran up the stairs, and burst through the open doors.

Then, they skidded to a stop.


	23. Part 01: Chapter 23

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Cloud and the others all stared in amazement at the sight that lay before them. The trail of blood stopped on this floor, simply stopping abruptly in the middle of the floor, but that wasn't what shocked them. What shocked them was the Shinra president's desk, or rather, what lay on top of it. All they could do was stare in complete amazement at what was lying before them.

President Shinra was at his desk in front of them, although he was in no position to talk to them. He wasn't in his chair, instead he was lying face down on top of the desk with his arms sprawled out in front of him as though he had fallen, and was never able to get up. Sticking up out of his back was a monstrously long, thin sword made of shiny silver metal, which was curved slightly for maximum damage. This silver sword was a masamune, a sword that was very difficult to control when in the wrong hands. This sword was sticking straight up into the air out of the middle of the president's back, right through his heart. As with all the others in the high levels of the building President Shinra's face was twisted in a look of horror, and everything else was deadly silent. Both Tifa and Aeris gasped, their voices echoing in the silence of the room, their hands over their mouths in shock. Cloud and Red XIII could only stare in surprise.

They didn't know what was going on, but they felt certain that whatever killed President Shinra wasn't the thing that killed everyone else in the building. Even so, they didn't know what made the blood tracks, either. Behind them came the sound of heavy running feet, and Barret came charging in. He raised his gun ready, but stopped as he saw the president.

"He's dead... The leader of Shinra, Inc. is dead..." Barret said in awe. He lowered his gun-arm, feeling suddenly inadequate now that his target was already dead. He looked up at the long, curved sword, and heard Tifa gasp in dread and horror.

"Then this sword must be...!?" she gasped.

Cloud narrowed his eyes angrily. "Sephiroth's!!" he growled.

Tifa shook her head in amazement. "...Sephiroth is alive?"

"...Looks like it," replied Cloud. "Only Sephiroth can use that sword."

"Who cares who did it?" Barret demanded. "This is the end of Shinra now."

Cloud folded his arms and looked down in thought. Even though President Shinra was now dead, he doubted that it would be the end of Shinra. President Shinra had a lot of senior executives who could easily take control of the company. But he was more worried about the owner of the strange masamune sword rather than the person who was dead.

While he was thinking a small sound suddenly made him snap out of his thoughts, and everyone rapidly turned to one of the pillars at the side of the room. To their surprise a figure was standing behind it, trembling and shaking in fear as he looked out at them. When he met the stares of the others looking back at him he jumped fiercely.

It was Palmer, the head of Shinra's Space Programme. He cried out in a panic and darted forward, trying to make his escape before they could kill him. He made the mistake of trying to run between Cloud and Barret in his desperate dash for the door, but as he ran past Cloud and Barret both reached out and grabbed him by his arms. They grabbed him and pulled him harshly back, holding him still while he struggled violently to get away. He was very panicky.

"P, p, p, please, don't kill me!" he begged of them. He struggled again, but Cloud and Barret both had a tight grip on him and he wasn't going anywhere. That didn't stop him from struggling though, and he kicked out again and again as he tried to wrench himself free.

"What happened?" Cloud asked him, ignoring the terrified man's struggling. He wasn't going anywhere until they got some answers as to what was going on inside the Shinra Building.

Palmer finally stopped struggling as he realised he wasn't in danger from them, and looked up at Cloud. His face was as white as a sheet and sweat was pouring down his face in fear. "Se, Sephiroth," he stammered nervously, his voice almost a whisper. He swallowed hard to try and remove the lump that had formed in his throat. "Sephiroth came."

Cloud opened his eyes wide just at the mere mention of the name, and glared at Palmer. This was no time for joking around, and if Palmer were lying about something as serious as Sephiroth, then he would kill him without hesitation.

"Did you see him?" Cloud asked him, feeling sure that in some way Palmer was fooling around with him and not taking him seriously. He stared furiously into Palmer's terrified eyes. "Did you see Sephiroth?"

Palmer nodded his head fiercely, although his movements were jerky as well. "Yeah, I saw him!!" he exclaimed, looking back at Cloud with his eyes wide open to show he wasn't lying. "I saw him with my own eyes!"

"You really saw him?" Cloud asked again, wanting to be absolutely sure that Palmer was indeed telling the truth. Just to make his point he tightened his grip on Palmer's arm and shoulder.

Palmer stared in disbelief. "Would I lie to you at a time like this!?" he demanded of Cloud, glaring back at him. "And I heard his voice too!" He stopped and gasped as he remembered everything that had happened. "Um, he was saying something about not letting us have the Promised Land."

"Then what?" asked Tifa, not really believing it. Cloud looked over at her as she spoke. "Does that mean that the Promised Land really does exist and Sephiroth is here to save it from Shinra?"

"So he's a good guy then?" asked Barret.

Cloud almost laughed out loud at Barret's statement, but instead he shook his head. "Save the Promised Land? A good guy?" he asked in disbelief. He looked up, his eyes narrowed angrily. "No way!! It's not that simple! I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different!"

While they were busy talking, Palmer saw his chance to make his escape before they decided to kill him now they knew what had happened. With a sudden jerk he wrenched his arms free from Barret and Cloud and made a dash for the door at the far end of the room, which led out onto a balcony outside the building. Cloud and his group made no attempt to go after him since they had got the information they wanted from him.

At that moment a loud whirring sound came from the outside, and everyone turned to the large windows that surrounded the back of the dead president's desk. They could see Palmer outside waving his arms towards a helicopter that was rapidly making its way towards the Shinra building. As they watched the helicopter began to land on the balcony.

"Rufus! &%$!" Barret cursed loudly, kicking at the floor with his feet as he saw the helicopter blades begin to slow down. "I forgot about him!"

"Who's that?" asked Tifa.

They watched as a figure stepped down from the helicopter. They could only see him faintly through the glass, but they could tell that it was a fairly young man not that much older than they were, with a head of bright orange hair and dressed in a long white trench coat that ran all the way down to his boots. He had eyes that were cold and callous, exactly like the president's eyes were, and he had a knowing smirk on his face as he stepped off the helicopter, where Palmer immediately ran to him.

"Vice President Rufus," said Barret, glaring at the redheaded man as he looked around. "The president's son."

Tifa almost gasped in amazement. She never knew that the president was married, let alone had a son. In the years she had lived in Midgar she had never seen nor heard of Vice President Rufus, although she knew that there must have been a vice president if there was a president. She only knew of the president and his top executives, but the Vice President had never been to any of the important Shinra meetings or announcements. So there he was... Vice President Rufus.

"I've heard no one's ever seen him bleed or cry," said Aeris in awe as she looked out at Rufus. At that particular moment Palmer was ranting on in front of him in an absolute frenzy, and Rufus didn't look like he was paying too much attention to him, which came as no surprise.

"I've heard that he's been assigned somewhere else for a long time..." said Barret, also in awe. While he watched Rufus flicked a hand through his hair, looking almost pleased with the news that he had just been given.

"I only know his name," said Red XIII.

Tifa folded her arms and tilted her head to the side. "I wonder what kinda person he is..." she wondered.

Cloud looked at the Vice President as he stood there smugly in the middle of the balcony, continuing to ignore Palmer as he ranted and raved. Cloud then narrowed his eyes and began to run towards the door that Palmer used to run out to the balcony with. The other four followed him closely, and they all ran out in single file onto the balcony. Palmer had just about stopped blathering by the time Cloud and his group ran out onto the balcony, where Rufus had folded his arms in thought.

"So... So Sephiroth was actually here..." Rufus said quietly. He looked up at Palmer. "By the way."

He stopped as he looked up over Palmer's shoulder towards Cloud's group who were all running towards him. Palmer also turned and looked. As he saw the five of them heading towards him and Rufus he jumped violently, and then quickly darted off towards the helicopter as it waited patiently at the far end of the balcony.

Cloud's group all came to a stop and stood firmly in front of Vice President Rufus, their hands at their weapons ready in case Rufus made any wrong movements. Rufus simply looked around at the group blankly, seemingly unimpressed by them. Two men, two women, and a dog... he wasn't at all bothered by them.

"Who are you guys?" he asked.

Cloud stepped forward. "I'm Cloud, former SOLDIER First Class!" he said.

"I'm from AVALANCHE!" Barret said fiercely, raising his gun-arm in warning to Rufus.

"Same here!" said Tifa.

"...A flower girl from the slums," said Aeris.

Red XIII flexed his sharp claws. "...A research specimen," he growled. Rufus looked around at the group once again and shrugged, still unimpressed. He had expected a more organised or at least a more threatening-looking group as the infamous rebels he had heard about, but instead, this was it.

"What a crew," he commented simply, which was all that he could say about them. He flicked a hand through his hair smugly and looked back at them. "Well, I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra, Inc."

"You only President 'cause yer old man died!" Barret retorted, taking an instant dislike to Rufus.

Yet, Rufus didn't seem at all fazed by the mention of the death of his father. Instead it almost seemed to bring a strange delight to his face, which reflected a lot of his personality. Instantly Tifa figured out just what kind of person Rufus was, just by the smile he had on his face at that moment. By that smile alone she could tell that Rufus was as cold-hearted as his father was, if not more. She got the impression that if the Sector 7 incident had occurred while Rufus was in charge, he wouldn't try to hide it by blaming it on AVALANCHE. He seemed to be the type of person who would openly admit it, and not give any form of explanation. She clenched her fists tightly and glared at Rufus, her rage beginning to build in her once again.

"That's right," said Rufus, the smug smile still on his face. "I'll let you hear my new appointment speech." He walked forward towards the group and stopped in front of Tifa. She turned her head sharply away and refused to look at him. "...Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working." He turned away and walked over to Aeris, who looked at him. "The population thought that Shinra would protect them." He walked over to Barret, who glared at him with a furious expression on his face. "Work as Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside. But, I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man." He walked back to the edge of the balcony and looked out at the city of Midgar in the night. "A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them."

Tifa crossed her arms and looked away from Rufus stubbornly. "He likes to make speeches just like his father," she said, sighing heavily. Rufus turned and glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. While he was busy, Cloud turned towards the rest of the group and looked at them all sternly.

"Get outta this building with Aeris!" he ordered them all suddenly. Everyone in the group turned to look at him in surprise, unable to believe what he was saying.

"What?" Barret asked, staring at Cloud.

Cloud shook his head at them. "I'll explain later," he told them. He looked at Barret sternly. "Barret! This is the real crisis for the Planet!"

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Barret demanded angrily, trying to figure out what Cloud was going on about.

"I'll tell you later!" Cloud said, insistent. He reached up and drew his sword from behind him, holding it in his hands. "Just take my word for it for now! I'll go after I take care of him!"

Barret stared at the determined look in Cloud's face. He wasn't sure what it was Cloud could see in Rufus that he couldn't, but he didn't dare try to contradict him. By now the dead people in the building would surely have been discovered, and guards would now be swarming in the building trying to find them. Aeris had already been captured twice now, so they had to get her out before the Shinra captured her again.

With that he turned and ran off back towards the president's office, followed closely by Red XIII and Aeris. Tifa remained behind for a few seconds more, looking back at Cloud with a concerned look in her eyes. She looked down at the ground for a moment, before she looked up and quickly followed Barret and the others, leaving Cloud and Rufus alone. Once they were gone Cloud turned to face Rufus.

Meanwhile Barret, Aeris, Tifa and Red XIII were all running through President Shinra's office, trying hard to avoid looking at the dead president's body as they passed through. They couldn't believe that Rufus wasn't even at all remorseful or upset over his father's death, but they figured that that was the kind of person he was. Just as President Shinra didn't care when he killed all the people of Sector 7, Rufus didn't care about his father's death.

The group headed back down the stairs towards the secretarial level on Level 69, where all the dead bodies of the secretaries still lay in their terrified heaps. Again they ignored these and headed towards the doors that led back down to the lower levels.

While they were running, Aeris very suddenly came to a complete stop right in the middle of the room. Noticing that she had stopped the others all came to a stop in front of her and turned back to look at her. Aeris was holding her staff gently in her hands, looking down at the ground with a look of concern as though she had suddenly remembered something important. Tifa especially looked at Aeris, feeling she knew what Aeris was about to say.

"Cloud..." Aeris whispered softly under her breath. She sounded concerned about something, and she closed her eyes. "I just thought of something."

"...I'll wait for Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed suddenly, running forward towards Aeris. She put a hand on the young woman's shoulder reassuringly, and Aeris lifted her gaze to look at her. Tifa gave her a smile before she turned to everyone else behind her. "Everyone, get to the elevator!"

Aeris stared into Tifa's face and eyes for a minute or two, before she realised that the exact same thoughts were crossing her mind as well. Slowly Aeris smiled, and nodded. Then she ran forward once again, letting Tifa's hand fall back by her side. Barret and Red XIII followed Aeris as she ran through the open door towards the elevators, leaving Tifa to stand guard at the door as she waited for Cloud.

As Aeris and her group ran around the corner and out of Tifa's sight, they came to a stop. They didn't know what kind of dangers would be awaiting them, and they knew they wouldn't be able to go back down the side stairs like they did coming up. It wouldn't take long for people to discover the events on the higher levels, and they needed to be prepared.

"Hmm, it's going to get pretty ugly from here on," Aeris commented, voicing the thoughts that everyone was thinking. "We should check on our equipment."

At her words Barret raised his gun-arm, revealing the single ball of Ice Materia that he had stored there. He was prepared. In turn Red XIII tilted his head to reveal a small ball of Materia built in just behind a clip on the back of his head, almost like a feather. Aeris had no Materia of her own since Cloud and Tifa had their other Materia, but with Barret and Red XIII at her side she felt much safer.

Once they were sure of their equipment they headed off again towards the nearby lift, and quickly piled in. They didn't like the idea of leaving their friends behind like that, but they knew they had other priorities.

As the lift began to go down, the three relaxed for a moment or two. So far there were no sirens going off in the main building, which could mean that perhaps they were lucky and no one had discovered the dead bodies yet. They may just have a quick and easy escape.

As they stood silently in the lift, they were forced to jump violently as a loud booming sound came from above them. The group looked up, and jumped back in surprise as they saw the adjacent lift also coming down beside him at a rapid speed, only slowing when it came alongside the lift where Aeris and her team stood waiting.

Inside the lift was a large robot, clearly another of Shinra's defence monsters like the Roboguard and Airbuster soldier they had encountered previously. This was a robot that was built up of many powerful artillery weapons – guns, flamethrowers and the like. It looked like a very fearsome opponent, and was directly opposite them.

As the two lifts became level with one another, the robot in the other lift raised two large guns at the front of its monstrous form, and aimed them at the glass separating the two lifts. It opened fire and showered the glass with a stream of bullets. The glass shattered instantly, and a wave of cold air rushed into the lifts from the outside, making Aeris's hair blow back behind her. She raised her staff and held it ready, while Barret and Red XIII also prepared for battle.


	24. Part 01: Chapter 24

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

While Aeris and her group were busy making quick work of the threatening robot that had followed them into the lifts to stop them escaping, Cloud was still up on the topmost floor of the Shinra Headquarters. Rufus was still in front of him, looking back at Cloud with a slightly stern expression on his face. He didn't seem worried that the others had made their escape, or threatened by Cloud in any way. His helicopter was still on the helipad beside them both with its large propellers still turning round and round, sending a fairly strong gust of wind over the two men. Clearly Rufus wasn't planning on stopping for very long.

"Why do you want to fight me?" Rufus asked him.

Cloud raised a hand and pointed straight at Rufus, a stern and angry expression burning in his eyes. "You seek the Promised Land and Sephiroth," he replied plainly.

"Hm, exactly," said Rufus, nodding his head. He walked slowly across the balcony towards Cloud, and stopped in front of him. "Mm? Did you know that Sephiroth is an Ancient?"

Cloud hesitated for a moment before answering. "...A lot has happened," he answered finally, not prepared to give him any more than that. "Anyway, I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!"

"I see," Rufus said, looking down at the ground as though in regret. "I guess that means we won't become friends."

He very suddenly whipped open the side of his white coat and pulled out a shotgun that he had kept hidden from view there, and aimed it straight at Cloud's head. Luckily Cloud was prepared and drew his sword at the exact same time, and managed to whip it up underneath the gun and force it sharply upwards just as Rufus fired. The bullet that was fired skimmed past Cloud's head and hit the wall of the Shinra Building before rebounding. Cloud then pushed forward strongly with his sword, sending Rufus staggering back and falling to the floor.

Rufus looked up from the floor and saw Cloud advancing towards him with his sword high, ready to strike. As Cloud brought down his sword with the intention of striking Rufus while he was down. Seeing the white flash of the blade Rufus raised his gun level in front of his face and caught the blade as it descended, blocking it at only an inch from his face. For a moment there was a stalemate as Cloud pushed down on his sword and Rufus pushing back with his gun, wondering which one of them would give way first and surrender.

Neither of them surrendered and the stalemate continued, until Rufus discovered a way to break it and place the odds back in his favour. While Cloud was standing above him Rufus swiped his right leg round to Cloud's right and swiped. Cloud immediately slackened his hold on the blade as he lost his balance and fell face down onto the floor beside Rufus, the blade clattering to the ground beside him.

Rufus stood up and looked down at Cloud with a conceited smile on his face. He looked at the blade lying beside him, and then kicked it across the floor away from him and Cloud. The young ex-SOLDIER was just beginning to climb to his feet, but Rufus didn't want him to get up just yet. He used the flat end of his gun to hit Cloud in the base of his back and Cloud fell back down onto the floor, grunting in pain. Rufus then placed the firing end of the gun on the back of Cloud's head and knelt down beside him, the smile still on his face.

"I won't let anyone stop me from finding the Promised Land," he said menacingly to Cloud while he was pinned to the floor with the gun. "Not you. Not Sephiroth, either. And now I'm going to end this little problem."

He pulled on the trigger.

Cloud closed his eyes and squeezed them shut.

But nothing happened. The gun didn't fire, and Cloud didn't die. Cloud slowly opened his eyes and glanced up. Rufus pulled the trigger again, but still the gun didn't fire. He tried again and even tried again, but the gun had completely jammed itself and couldn't fire at all. Rufus stared blankly at the gun, completely taken aback.

Realising that the gun was no longer able to fire, Cloud took his chance to escape and hurriedly rolled to the side away from Rufus. Rufus snapped out of his moment of indecision and quickly slammed the gun hard into the concrete ground, but missed Cloud completely as he rolled away.

Cloud stopped rolling as he felt himself roll over something hard and cold – the blade of his sword. He rapidly grabbed hold of the handle of his sword and rushed to his feet, not even pausing as he spun round to face Rufus once again, swinging his sword with him to gain some extra momentum as he brought the sword down.

Rufus had been running towards him at that point, ready to use his gun as a striking weapon rather than a gun-weapon, but as he saw Cloud's sword coming down towards him he quickly stepped back. He was only just quick enough, but as the sword came down it brushed by the palm of his hand. The blade sliced into the skin, cutting a fairly deep gash into the middle of his palm, but no blood fell. Rufus immediately retaliated by quickly charging forward and swiping his gun in front of him. The gun struck Cloud's waist, and Cloud cried out before falling to his knees, holding his waist.

Rufus looked down at the small wound in his palm before looking down to Cloud on the floor. A large, superior smile spread across his face as he looked at him. He was impressed by Cloud's ability to wound him, but he was not fazed by it.

At that moment a loud whirring sound came from the side as the helicopter's blades began to spin faster, preparing to take off. Rufus lowered his gun and turned to the helicopter, which was just beginning to rise from the ground and fly towards him. He then turned back to Cloud, and the smile returned to his face.

"Heh, that's all for today," he said.

The new Shinra President then reached up and grabbed the end of the helicopter rails as it hovered over him. The helicopter then began to fly upwards, carrying Rufus up with it. Cloud looked up, his arm shielding his eyes from the wind that was blowing around him, and looked up at Rufus as he waved goodbye with his gun. The helicopter then flew up and away from Midgar. Cloud cursed quietly to himself before standing up, still holding his waist, and ran back inside the Shinra building to make his own escape.

He ran on down to Level 69, and was not surprised to find Tifa there waiting for him. As he ran on down to her a very relieved smile spread across her face. The smile disappeared as she saw the stern and exasperated look on Cloud's face, so she got the impression that the fight hadn't gone as he had hoped.

"Where's Rufus?" she asked.

Cloud shook his head. "I couldn't finish 'em," he replied simply. He rubbed at his waist, still feeling the ache from where the gun had hit him. "Looks like this's gonna get complicated."

Tifa nodded, understanding what he meant. The two then turned and ran through the open door to head down to the lower levels, finally making their own escape from the Shinra Building.

* * *

The first of the two lifts came to a stop on the ground floor of the building, and its doors burst open. All at once a pile of charred and smouldering metal tumbled out onto the floor, completely destroyed. With it came the remains of another defence robot, which had also been easily defeated and destroyed by the intruders.

The second lift then slowly landed on the ground floor and the doors calmly slid open, allowing Aeris and her group to step out, and put their weapons back into place now that their battle was over. Once out of the lift they looked around, just in case any Shinra soldiers were waiting for them. There were no soldiers waiting for them – in fact there was no one around at all. It was really no surprise to them that the rest of the Shinra Building had been evacuated considering what had been going on up on the higher floors, but it was a surprise that there were no guards waiting for them.

"I'll go on ahead!" Barret announced to the others.

Aeris and Red XIII watched as Barret ran towards the large double doors that led out of the building – the same doors he wanted to charge through on their way into the building. He couldn't destroy them, but he would now. As he reached the doors and began to open them, the loud, booming sound of gunfire made him jump and step back into the building. Through the glass of the doors he could see a platoon of Shinra soldiers standing outside, with their guns aimed at the doors waiting for the intruders to come out. In retaliation Barret raised his gun-arm and fired, but the bulletproof doors stopped his bullets. He eventually gave up and ran back to Aeris and Rex XIII, who were waiting for him.

"&%(" Barret swore loudly, waving his arms madly. "...Surrounded, huh? If I was alone this wouldn't be a thang but, I gotta reputation to protect."

Aeris stepped forward, placing her hand on her heart. "You all get out while you can," she said to them both regretfully. "It's not you they're after... it's me."

"Yeah, well that ain't happenin'" Barret said to her sternly, turning to her. "You got caught up in this over Marlene. Now, it's my turn to watch out for you!" He turned back towards the door and raised his gun-arm again. He aimed straight for the glass doors where the soldiers were waiting. "Okay, playtime's over for you jackasses..."

Aeris looked at Barret in surprise. She had really only just met Barret, and already he was laying his life on the line for her own safety. Her eyes widened as they filled with tears and her heart pounded inside her, awed by his fearlessness. She put her hands together on her chest, a smile on her face.

"...Thank you, Mr. Barret!" she exclaimed, truly grateful.

Barret's head snapped round sharply to look at her, his eyes angry once again. "Who you callin' Mr. Barret?" he demanded. "That don't sound right!"

"Well then..." Red XIII interrupted suddenly, speaking for the first time in a while. He shook his head pitifully at the two. "If you are through talking may I suggest that we think of a way to get out of here?"

"Huh?" Barret asked. He scratched his head in bewilderment, before he finally remembered that their only exit was heavily guarded with soldiers and guns. He blushed a little. "Oh, oh yeah..." he said finally. He then looked at Red XIII. "You a cold man. Just like someone else 'round here I know."

Slowly Red XIII looked at Barret and bared his sharp teeth. "Did you say something?" he asked of Barret.

"Notta thing," Barret answered quickly, trying to cover his tracks. He then quickly changed the subject before Red XIII could speak again. "So what're we gonna do?" he asked.

"Barret!"

Barret, Aeris and Red XIII all turned towards one of the twin set of stairs leading up to the first floor. They saw Tifa at the top of those stairs beginning to run down to them, but to their utmost surprise they saw that Cloud was not with her, and she was running down alone.

"Tifa!" Barret exclaimed, staring at Tifa as she ran down to them. "Where's Cloud?"

Tifa didn't answer the question, and as she reached the last few steps she jumped down to the ground floor. She ignored Barret and his group for the moment and looked around the area, seeming to be looking for something. She finally seemed to find it, for she suddenly began to run towards the other set of stairs at the other end of the ground floor, away from Barret's group. The young woman came to a stop beside the stairs and seemed to glance briefly behind it, before turning back to Barret and signalling for them to come over to her.

"Everyone, over here!" she called to them, continuing to wave at them.

Barret turned and shared a confused glance with Aeris and Red XIII, wondering what Tifa was going on about. She had seemed fairly insistent on staying behind to wait for Cloud, so it seemed completely strange that she should come running back to them without him.

"Huh?" Barret asked, scratching his head. "What's up? Where's Cloud?"

Tifa shook her head, exasperated. "I'll tell you later!" she called to them. "Hurry! Hurry!!"

Without wasting any more time, Tifa turned and ran behind the stairs towards the back of the Shinra Building, where the car park was lying hidden. It was very quiet in this area of the Shinra Building, and their footsteps echoed as they walked quickly through to find a car they could use to escape. It was also very dark, with the only strong form of light coming from the tip of Red XIII's tail, which seemed to have its own strange glow.

The ghostly silence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a revving engine from the floor above them, followed by the sound of a heavy thudding noise as something began to drive down the stairs directly above them towards the ground floor. This of course answered the question that Tifa didn't have the time to answer.

It was Cloud that was coming down the stairs at that moment, driving down on the back of a motorbike that he had stolen from the racks on the first floor. However instead of waiting for the lifts to take him and the bike down, he had decided to take the shortcut and ride straight down the stairs on the bike. He grasped onto the handles and revved the engine, looking down towards the ground floor.

Tifa finally saw what she was looking for and stopped running, looking to the right. In the middle of the car park there was a small truck with an open back, which looked as though it had been left unlocked. She signalled to the others standing behind her, before she ran towards the truck.

At the same time Cloud had just reached the bottom of the stairs and pulled on the handles of the bike, swerving it sharply to the right as he headed towards Tifa and her group as they opened the truck and began to pile in. Aeris climbed into the seat beside the driver's seat, while Barret jumped into the back of the truck. Tifa turned as Cloud drove up and came to a stop for a few moments behind them before he drove off, leaving Tifa to jump into the driver's seat of the truck and revved the engine. The truck began to move, and Red XIII had to quickly jump in before the truck sped off without him.

Cloud took charge in leading the truck out into the main hall of the ground floor, before making a sharp turn and heading back up the stairs towards the first floor. It was far too dangerous to simply drive out of the main doors for they would have been shot within moments of making it outside. That left them with only one option – to take the soldiers by surprise.

Both Tifa and Cloud pushed the engines to the max as they powered their way back up the stairs towards the first floor. As they reached the floor above the two vehicles swerved around and came to a final stop facing the back wall of the Shinra Building, which was entirely made of glass. Through it they could see the outside, and the long road that ran from the Shinra building and down by the edge of the Sector 5 plate. It was one of the only single roads that ran all the way down to the outer edge of Midgar, and this was the route they would need to take to escape safely from Shinra.

Tifa and Aeris both turned and looked over at Cloud, who was slightly ahead of them on the motorbike. Cloud glanced back at them and nodded slightly, before turning back towards the glass window and the world beyond. Then he kicked up the brakes of the motorbike and drove forward towards the window blocking their way out.

Outside Shinra soldiers heavily guarded the Shinra Building on all sides. They were waiting anxiously for the rebels inside to come out and either be shot or surrender peacefully, although the more likely result was that they would be shot the moment they showed their faces.

So with all the heavy guarding they were doing on the outside, it came as a complete surprise as a loud crash came from above them and a shower of glass came tumbling down towards them. As they looked up they could only get a quick glimpse of a bike flying out of the first floor window and over their heads. It was followed closely by a truck riding out of the window, and the soldiers could only make it out of the way in time before the car landed on the ground with a heavy thud and began to drive off once again, following the bike down the road at top speed.

With the soldiers in complete disarray over being outsmarted like that, Cloud and his group took their chance to escape and pushed their escape vehicles as hard as they could. Cloud pressed down on the accelerator of the bike and made it go faster down the road, the tyres screeching as they moved. Behind him Tifa pushed down on the car's controls and followed Cloud, driving expertly down the road while Barret and Red XIII kept an eye on things at the back.

It didn't take the Shinra soldiers too long to sort themselves out, and pretty soon they were heading down the road after them on their own bikes, and were already catching up with them.

Seeing that the Shinra soldiers were catching up to them, Barret stood up in the back of the car and took aim at the soldiers that were approaching. He then let loose a string of bullets onto the advancing soldiers. Since he was firing from a moving vehicle many of his bullets missed their targets and instead skimmed the road at the foot of the motorbikes, creating a line of fire and light around them. The bullets that did hit their target recoiled on the surface of the bikes or hit the soldiers themselves, sending them flying back away from them. Yet there were many more soldiers coming after them, and Barret couldn't stop them all.

"Yo, Cloud!" Barret called, turning to the front of the car. "There's more of them Shinra soldiers comin'!"

Cloud turned his head back and looked behind him. He could see what Barret meant – there were at least a dozen Shinra soldiers heading their way. He expected that, for the Shinra weren't about to let them go so easily. Being careful not to let himself fall he quickly turned around on the bike and began to head back.

"Allow me to help," said Red XIII.

As Cloud passed by on the bike, Red XIII got up and jumped from the back of the car and landed on Cloud's bike, digging his claws firmly into the ridges to keep his balance steady. Cloud then drove forward towards the Shinra soldiers, with Red XIII riding on the back.

The Shinra soldiers stared through their helmets as they saw the opposing bike approaching them. They then jumped violently as they realised what was happening, but by then it was too late.

Red XIII stood up on the back of the bike; his front paws on Cloud's shoulders for support, and bared his teeth as he focused on his target. Suddenly he lifted his head up high and howled loudly, and at the same time a single ball of Materia that was hidden behind the clip on his head began to glow. A ball of fire exploded around the motorbike closest to them, and it swerved to the side. It struck the side of another motorbike that was travelling alongside it, and both of the motorbikes skidded across the road and tumbled over, their drivers falling from their seats.

It was then that Red XIII took his chance and dived from the back of Cloud's bike and onto the road. There he charged forward and jumped up onto the next bike and began to attack the Shinra soldier with his teeth and claws.

While he was busy, Cloud drove on. He reached back with one hand and drew his sword from behind him. Once ready he held it out level at his side, and then pushed as much power as he could into the bike's engine. He zipped forward down the road, and the Shinra soldiers did not have enough time to move aside out of the way. Cloud sped past on his bike, and soldier after soldier were thrown from their bikes as the sword slashed past them, knocking them off to the ground.

All the while Barret maintained his position on the back of the truck, firing upon the soldiers that Cloud and Red XIII couldn't get to. It was difficult to aim with the truck constantly moving away, but he managed to get a fair number of soldiers without harming Red XIII as he jumped from bike to bike, on the constant attack.

Only one Shinra soldier managed to make it past the blockade of fangs and bullets, and drove up alongside the truck until he was level with the driver's seat where Tifa was driving. He then proceeded to slam the bike into the side of the truck, trying to force Tifa off the road. With each slam the truck moved further to the side, towards the deep gauge that ran between the plates. Tifa kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel, trying her hardest to keep the truck on the road.

"Lean back!" Aeris said suddenly beside her.

Tifa did as she was told and leaned back in her seat. Aeris pulled out her staff and thrust it through the open window. The staff broke through the soldier's helmet and prevented the soldier from getting any closer. She then pulled out the staff and hit the soldier around the head. The blow stunned the soldier just enough to make him fall back away from the car, where Barret finished the job and fired his gun at him.

After that the soldiers suddenly began to fall away, giving the group a clear run on. Red XIII jumped back onto Cloud's back as he swerved round and headed back up after the truck.

They soon found out the reason for the soldiers pulling back. Coming down the road after them was another of Shinra's large defence robots – much fiercer and more equipped than any robot they had seen before. This robot was equipped with all kinds of machinery, including a very fearsome flamethrower that they could just about see beneath its body. It was also able to transform and change its shape to reveal this flamethrower, as well as its other weapons.

Tifa glanced over at the wing mirror and spotted the large robot coming rapidly down the road after them, coming close behind Red XIII and Cloud. For a brief moment the robot passed Cloud and Red XIII, but Cloud pushed his vehicle harder and quickly overtook it once again, driving fast to catch up with the truck as it passed the final curve towards the end of the road, which was a dead-end. With nowhere else to turn, Cloud turned the bike sharply and skidded to a stop at the end, right beside the truck. He dismounted along with Red XIII and turned back towards the road.

The robot passed the final curve and reached the final stretch of the road. As it turned it was met by Cloud's group standing in a line at the end of the road in front of their vehicles, their weapons in hand, Materia glowing. The robot raised its body up, the majority of its wheels pulling up behind it, and ignited its flamethrower.

It never had a chance to use its main weapon. As it approached Cloud, Tifa, Aeris and Red XIII all unleashed the power of their Materia, showering the robot in thick clouds of ice, fire and lightning. With each blast the robot jumped and shuddered, rising at least an inch off the ground with each attack. Many of the robot's parts flew off into the air, but still the robot approached, a number of fires spreading on its metal body.

Barret ended the job once again with his gun. Large electric sparks began to crackle and flicker as the bullets pierced the robot's wiring, until it became alive with electricity. With a final choke the robot came to a complete stop just a few metres away. It then exploded, and the sky became alive with fire and smoke, while Cloud and his group lowered their weapons and watched as the robot burned.


	25. Part 01: Chapter 25

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

A full five minutes passed by while Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, Barret and Red XIII watched in silence as the Shinra robot burned in front of them. It was quite a sombre silence as they all stood and stared, weapons still in hand. No one could say anything right then, and could only contemplate what they were going to do next. There were no more Shinra soldiers coming after them – the robot was their last defence.

Right then they were all thinking about the events that had taken place inside Shinra Headquarters during the last twelve hours or so. So much had already happened that they had barely taken the time to stop and reflect on it. It had all began with the destruction of the Sector 5 reactor, which had been a trap to lure them in. Next was the terrible destruction of Sector 7, their home, and the loss of many of their friends and comrades. And of course, lastly, there had been the journey into the Shinra Building to rescue Aeris that had led to the death of many people, including President Shinra. Everyone was taking a few moments to reflect on all of this, and the people they had lost.

Cloud stared silently into the flames that had rose up and engulfed the remains of the robot lying wasted in front of them. The darkness of the night and the shadows covering the city itself accented the intensity and vibrancy of the flames, as they flickered back and forth in the gentle breeze that was blowing around them. Staring into those red-hot flames brought back many unpleasant memories for him – memories he'd sooner forget if he could. Yet those memories were, like the flames, burned into his memory, and the incidents in the Shinra Building just stirred them all up again, including the anger. He clenched his fists tightly.

"Well, what do we do now?" Barret asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had taken over them.

No one answered him – they were still thinking. Cloud then suddenly turned away from the flames and walked off towards the end of the road ahead of them, the others turning to watch him. The road abruptly came to an end just a few metres ahead of where they had stopped, with nothing else beyond. Perhaps Shinra could never just be bothered finishing the road, but it simply hung over the ground outside of Midgar. Once they passed this obstacle they were officially out of Midgar and hopefully safe from the clutches of Shinra, but Cloud knew that there were other dangers beside Shinra.

"Sephiroth is alive," he said gravely, his voice low and quiet. His fists were shaking slightly, but luckily no one noticed. He closed his eyes, remembering. "I... I have to settle the score."

Barret walked up and stopped beside him. "And that'll save the Planet?" he asked.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "...Seems like it," he replied. In truth he didn't much care for the safety of the Planet right then – he had more important things on his mind. Barret on the other hand did seem to care.

"Awright, I'm going!" he exclaimed loudly, raising his one good fist high to the sky with determination.

"I'll go too," Aeris announced suddenly, stepping forward towards the two. When they looked at her she put her hands almost shyly behind her back, and looked down at the ground. "...I have things that I want to find out."

"About the Ancients?" Cloud asked her.

Aeris closed her eyes. "......Many things," she replied simply.

Tifa then walked up to join them at the end of the road. "I guess this's goodbye, Midgar," she said.

They all turned and looked out at the land beyond Midgar's imprisoning boundaries. They could see the dried up, wasted land that surrounded the immediate border that was caused by the reactors sucking up all the Mako energy that was buried deep in the ground. There was nothing living in that dark black area now except monsters – wild monsters. Beyond the dark patch of dead land they could see the green of fresh land – land that the reactors had not reached just yet.

In the far distance, the sun was just beginning to rise – the long night was finally over and their journey was about to begin. Slowly but surely the sun began to rise up over the fall in the Eastern Mountains, and gradually began to push away the darkness of the night and replace it with the cool colours of dawn. It gave the group a sense of hope after the effects of the night, and they headed down to the ground filled with fresh energy, using a long metal cable that was hanging from the end of the road. One by one they climbed down the cable and dropped onto the ground, and looked back momentarily at Midgar.

The perimeter of Midgar was surrounded by a thick wall of glass that ran all around the city, only opening up in some areas to allow people through, although special keys or passes were needed to gain access. Midgar really did look like a prison from the outside.

As the last of the group finished climbing down the cable and dropped safely onto the ground, Red XIII turned to them all. "I'm going back to my hometown," he informed them. "I'll go with you as far as that."

"I guess this is the start of our journey," Tifa said, folding her arms. Her voice sounded almost solemn and even a little scared. Even as Cloud looked at her, he could see the concern in her face, as though she had something in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite shake off.

"You hate travelling?" he asked her.

Tifa turned her head and looked over at Cloud, as she tried to hide the worried look on her face. "...I don't know," she admitted. She managed a very brief smile. "But, I don't have anywhere else to go. So I guess it doesn't really matter whether I like to travel or not."

Beside her Aeris sighed heavily, and put her hands behind her back. "You know what?" she asked suddenly. "This is the first time I've ever left Midgar..."

Cloud turned to look at her and blinked. "Really?" he asked her, seeming a little surprised. "...You worried?"

Aeris looked back at him, also surprised. She then tilted her head to the side as she thought about the question, seriously beginning to consider her own feelings. Up until that point she hadn't really thought about it much, but now that Cloud was asking her, she suddenly found herself unable to decide. Part of her was worried about leaving Midgar, for as she had said, she had never left Midgar before. And yet she was also excited, for she longed to see the outside world and the sights that it held for her. It was hard to decide how she truly felt about leaving Midgar, but she felt that the worry outweighed the excitement, just a little bit.

"A little," she answered finally. She ran her hand through her hair, and giggled a little. "...No, maybe a lot," she added as she giggled. She gave Cloud a slight wink. "But I have my bodyguard, right?"

Cloud blinked again. In response Aeris just smiled her usual cheerful, carefree smile, and then turned away to look back at Midgar, and the smile faded. Through those locked doors was Sector 5, and she could just about see the church through the rubble and waste that was gathered there. Beyond the rubble were the Sector 5 slums, where her mother Elmyra was.

Barret glanced back and saw where Aeris was looking. He turned to Cloud. "We told Aeris's mom to go somewhere safe," he said, and Aeris turned her head to look at him. "So Marlene should be safe, too."

"Yeah, she should be," agreed Cloud, although he didn't sound too sure. In the slums it was hard for anyone to go anywhere, including the upper plates, and getting out of Midgar had been a major task for them alone. So he highly doubted that Elmyra and Marlene would make it out so easily. He didn't say so, though. Barret and Aeris needed to be assured that they were safe. He walked forward to the head of the group, and turned back to them all. "Then... Let's go!"

"We need a group leader for our journey," Barret declared loudly. He raised his arms and bared his gun-arm. "'Course only me could be the leader." He began to flex his large muscles to show off his strength and supremacy that made him the best candidate for leader.

Tifa and Aeris on the other hand, didn't look so convinced. "You think so...?" asked Tifa, seeming a little alarmed at the suggestion. She glanced at Aeris, who then walked forward and stood beside Barret, standing on her tiptoes so she could reach his face.

"It would have to be Cloud," she said.

All at once Barret stopped acting tough and stood frozen for a moment or two, while Cloud just looked blank and expressionless, unmoved by their decision. Barret then sagged, realising that he wasn't going to win against Tifa and Aeris. They had both made their decision.

"#$% ......Awright," he moaned, giving in at last. He glanced at Cloud, an angry look on his face. "Go Northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there." He sat down grumpily on the ground and crossed his legs, and refused to look at Cloud. "'Sides, we can't have 5 people strolling down the fields. It's too dangerous. Split us into two parties..."

Cloud crossed his arms and thought for a moment. He didn't particularly want to be the leader, but he wasn't going to argue with Tifa and Aeris. Barret was a good fighter, but he probably wasn't the best choice for leader. He also got the feeling that him and Barret would probably end up fighting if they travelled together.

Although he never got the chance to choose his party, for moments later Tifa and Aeris both suddenly ran forward and stood on either side of him, leaving Barret and Red XIII alone on the other side. Barret crossed his arms and grinned knowingly.

"...Thought you'd do that," he said. He gave them all a wave. "Later, at Kalm!"

Barret then turned and ran off away from the group towards the dull and grey fields that surrounded Midgar. Red XIII followed him a few metres behind, trying to catch up with him as he ran. Cloud and his own group waited just a few minutes more and took one final look at Midgar as the sun rose. The city seemed quiet, and there was no sign of any Shinra soldiers coming after them. After they finished saying goodbye they turned and headed off into the fields towards the town of Kalm, leaving Midgar behind them.

* * *

**[Kalm]**

After about an hour of wandering the fields the group finally came across the small town of Kalm, just as Barret had told them. It was just past the lifeless fields that surrounded Midgar, to the northeast, and even from just a single glance it was clear that this town was the complete opposite of Midgar.

The first thing Cloud, Aeris and Tifa noticed as they entered the town was the difference in the air's scent and taste. In Midgar and the land surrounding it the air had been thick and heavy with the scent of metal, oil and rust, and there was no other natural life apart from the people that lived there, with the exception of Aeris's flower garden.

As they passed the lifeless fields and into the plains surrounding Kalm, they were hit with the fresh scents of life coming from the grass and flowers that were growing there, presently untouched by the suction of the reactors of Midgar. The grass was as green as anything, and the flowers were full of colour and giving off beautiful scents into the air. There weren't even many monsters in this area.

The town of Kalm was exactly the same. The air was fresh and incredibly clear, with no smell of smog or metal or dirt, and each breath that they inhaled was cool and refreshing. It awoke the hidden depths of their minds and bodies that the thick air of Midgar had buried for so long.

Kalm itself was only a small, quiet town, just a little village near to the coast of the continent, unlike the city of Midgar that was a large productive city. This town was the complete opposite and looked in much better condition than Midgar was. There were many quaint little houses built around the town centre, many of them with two or even three floors, and each one was built out of beautifully painted brick and wood, and was in good condition.

All the major shops were built at the far end of the town centre on the top of a large platform that could be reached via a large set of wooden stairs, although they were only tiny shops, and probably didn't have much variety in their stock. Behind those shops there was an old mine where some of the older people worked, although that mine was pretty much run down by now. Even so the town wasn't poor and the people weren't living in shabby old houses, unlike the people of the slums in Midgar. In general Kalm had a much happier feel to it, and Cloud's group instantly felt their spirits rise as they entered the town.

"So this is Kalm?" asked Tifa, looking around. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, making it blow back behind her. She couldn't believe just how clear the air was in this town. It was a freshness she hadn't felt for a long time...

Aeris looked around at the town centre, until she spotted an inn at the far end. "I wonder if everyone's there already," she said. She pointed towards the inn. "Let's hurry over to the inn!"

She ran forward towards the inn and waved to Cloud and Tifa to follow her before she ran inside, shutting the door behind her. Once she was gone Tifa sighed heavily and brushed her thick brown hair out of her eyes. She then turned to Cloud, and gave him a gentle smile.

"Let's go, Cloud," she said, and headed off to the inn herself.

Cloud stayed outside for a few more minutes, standing with his arms folded as he looked around the town. Although this was the first time he had ever been to Kalm, it was built very similarly to a place he had been to before. Of course this town was much more lively than the other place, it brought back some more of his old memories. There were many children running around enjoying the sunlight, playing with their friends or pets, while the adults walked around leisurely as they shopped, or simply sat by the well to rest their legs. Realising that he was standing in the middle of the street by himself he quickly headed over to the inn.

The inside of the inn was quiet, and there was only a single receptionist standing behind the desk, watching him as he entered. There was no sign of Tifa or Aeris anywhere, so Cloud figured they were already upstairs waiting for him with the others, if they had already arrived as well. He walked towards the receptionist, who looked at him.

"Mr...... Cloud?" the receptionist asked him. Cloud nodded. "Your party is waiting for you on the second floor."

Cloud nodded again and headed on up the stairs towards the second floor where the others would be waiting for him. In fact, Barret was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for him, standing with an unpleasant, impatient look on his hairy face. Cloud just ignored the angry look as he walked up and into the second floor bedrooms, and saw that the rest of the group was indeed waiting for him. Tifa and Aeris were both sat on the beds, while Red XIII was sat on the floor near to the window, his tail gently swaying back and forth as usual. As Cloud walked up Aeris looked up at him and smiled.

"Cloud, you're late!" she said.

"Yo man, you're late!" Barret said irritably, glaring at Cloud. He didn't like to be kept about waiting for Cloud.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Cloud. He walked fully into the room and stood in the middle of everybody.

"Guess everyone's here now..." said Aeris.

Barret immediately wasted no time in getting right to the point of the matter. "So let's hear your story......" he said to Cloud harshly. Cloud looked at him. "You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the planet. Let's hear it all."

Cloud looked down at the ground silently for a few moments, unsure of how to put his story. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to talk about, but he got the impression that Barret wasn't going to let it go without a decent explanation. He had already made it clear that he knew something about Sephiroth, and with Barret and Aeris and Red XIII looking at him, he knew there was no way he could get out of it. So he took a deep breath and began to explain.

"......I used to want to be like Sephiroth, so I joined SOLDIER," he began, thinking that the very beginning was a good place to start. "After working with Sephiroth on several missions, we became friends."

"You call that a friend?" Barret asked in surprise, remembering the scenes of death that they had seen in the Shinra Building, and the way the president had been murdered with the long masamune sword in his back.

"Yeah, well..." Cloud sighed heavily. "He's older than me, and he hardly every talked about himself."

"......" Tifa mumbled silently. She had a grave expression on her face as she listened to Cloud talk.

"So I guess you'd call him a war buddy...... We trusted each other. Until one day......"

Aeris lifted her head. "...One day?" she asked.

Cloud suddenly turned away from them all and walked away from them. "After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra," he explained, refusing to look at them. "......That was five years ago. I was 16......"

* * *

[End of Part One]

[Part Two: Cloud's Memory]

* * *

**Emerald:** That's Part One: Midgar complete – after 25 chapters! Thanks for all the good reviews I've received so far – they're really appreciated! If you ever spot a spelling or grammar mistake, please let me know so I can correct it! Hope you've all enjoyed it so far. If so, go on to Part Two!!!


	26. Part 02: Chapter 26

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**_Part Two: Cloud's Memory_**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

_Cloud moved to the back of the pick up truck that was carrying them along, and looked out of the back window. It was hard to see out because of the rain that was falling down outside, falling thick and fast onto the window and covering it completely. No sooner did the wipers at the front and back of the car wipe the rain away did more fall down onto it, making it almost impossible to see out. From what he could make out the sky was dark and dreary, the clouds so low they almost touched the tips of the mountains he could see in the distance._

_"It sure is raining hard," he commented, before turning back to the other people sitting patiently in the car as it drove on._

_Sitting in the car were two Shinra soldiers and another man, with another soldier driving the truck at the front. The soldier furthest from him was sat patiently with his gun in his hand as they moved on, not paying any attention to him at all. The nearest soldier sat on the crate beside him was sat anxiously with his hands cupped together, trembling a little. He didn't really seem that well at all._

_The third person was sat at the other end of the truck on another crate, and it was clear just from looking at him that he was a strong and well-respected individual. He was dressed fairly smartly in a black and white outfit that was mostly covered by a long black cloak that covered him from his shoulders to his feet, with two large pieces of shoulder-armour on either shoulder. His hair was so long it ran all the way down his back, and was coloured a beautiful shade of silver. His skin was fairly pale, which was natural considering his hair colour, while his eyes were a stunning green, with the same glow in them that Cloud's eyes had. By his side was the long, curved sword that only he could use – the masamune. At that moment he was looking down in thought, not noticing what Cloud was doing._

_This was the man that started everything. The man that killed the Shinra president and probably many others as well._

_This was Sephiroth._

_Cloud moved away from the window and towards the soldier closest to him. The poor Shinra soldier looked very uncomfortable clad in the blue uniform, and was constantly twitching and shifting about on the crate in which he was sat. Cloud felt incredibly sorry for him, having to sit about in his uniform and helmet like that, unable to go outside for some fresh air to clear his head._

_"How are you doing?" he asked the soldier kindly, leaning over to him._

_The soldier looked up, his face invisible through the darkness of the helmet. "I'm all right," he muttered quietly, his voice shaking a little with his nausea._

_"I wouldn't know..." Cloud admitted, standing upright. He folded his arms in thought for a moment or two. "I've never had motion sickness." He then left the motion sick soldier and went to the front of the truck, and waved to the second Shinra soldier. "Everything okay?" he asked._

_The soldier just looked at him, and then looked away again, uninterested. Cloud didn't mind, and walked back to the centre of the moving vehicle. He folded his arms once again. Two years ago he would never have dreamed that he would actually have made it into SOLDIER, let alone be working so closely with Sephiroth. Many soldiers dreamed of meeting the Great Sephiroth, let alone work with him. It made Cloud very excited, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't keep still. His excitement surpassed everything else, including the dreary rain, and nothing could take him off the cloud he was on right then._

_"Hey," came a voice._

_Cloud turned towards Sephiroth in surprise, and saw that Sephiroth was looking at him. It was the first time he had spoken throughout their whole journey towards the quiet town they were heading towards. Sephiroth's glowing green eyes seemed to give off an aura of supremacy and power, as though a strong power was buried within him. It was no wonder he was known as 'The Great Sephiroth', when you looked into those eyes and saw that power and strength there._

_"Settle down," Sephiroth told Cloud. His voice was calm and almost emotionless._

_It was easier said than done for Cloud. With his excitement building he began to squat up and down in the middle of the truck, somehow managing to maintain his balance while the truck moved across the bumpy road (which made the poor Shinra soldier behind him feel even more sick!). All the while Sephiroth watched him blankly, unmoved by Cloud's apparent excitement._

_"They gave me some new Materia," Cloud boasted as he squatted breathlessly in front of Sephiroth. "I can't wait to use it."_

_A small smile spread across Sephiroth's face, and he laughed a little. "...Just like a kid," he remarked, meaning Cloud's constant change of position. It was nothing new to him to get some new Materia. But Cloud, who was still just a rookie in SOLDIER despite making First Class, was still excited at the thought of new Materia._

_Cloud finally stopped squatting and looked at Sephiroth. "You going to brief us about this mission?" he asked, finally changing the subject to something more practical._

_"...This isn't an ordinary mission," Sephiroth began._

_"Good!" Cloud exclaimed, immediately interrupting him._

_Sephiroth tilted his head and looked at Cloud in surprise. "Why do you say that?" he asked him._

_"I joined SOLDIER so I could be like you," Cloud explained to him briefly. He turned away and looked up at the ceiling. "But by the time I made First Class, the war was over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the war. That's why I always sign up whenever there's a big mission. Kind of a way to prove myself." He turned back to Sephiroth, a kind of smug smile on his face. "Say, how do you feel, MISTER Sephiroth?"_

_Sephiroth sighed heavily. "...I thought you wanted a briefing?" he asked. Cloud fell silent and his face went red as he scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed at letting his excitement get the better of him. Realising that Cloud was finally ready to listen, Sephiroth tried again. "Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning and producing brutal creatures. First, we will dispose of those creatures. Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralise it."_

_Cloud folded his arms once again, and tapped his foot thoughtfully against the floor of the truck. "Brutal creatures..." he wondered aloud. He looked at Sephiroth. "Where?" he asked._

_"The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim," Sephiroth told him, sitting back on the crate and looking down once again at the floor._

_Cloud looked up in surprise at the name of the town they were heading to. "Nibelheim..." he repeated. "That's where I'm from."_

_"Hmm..." Sephiroth mumbled quietly to himself. "Hometown..."_

_At that moment there was a loud crash outside as something large and heavy suddenly slammed into the side of the truck, causing it to shake violently. Cloud and the two soldiers all jumped violently and looked around as the shaking ceased, wondering what had just happened._

_"Sir..." the driver of the truck said fearfully, turning to look into the back of the truck. "S, Something just crashed into our truck!"_

_Everyone turned to the back window as a large shadow then descended on the truck and covered it in blackness. Through the heavy rain that was pelting against the back window, they could just about see a large silhouette fly down and land on the ground behind the truck. They couldn't see what it was that had just crashed into them, but from the size of the shadow and the silhouette, it must have been something pretty big. Sephiroth stood up off the crate, holding his masamune._

_"That would be our Monster..." he said._

_He moved swiftly to the back of the truck and unlocked the two doors, pushing them open. As the door opened a powerful gust of wind blew into the truck, making the crates shudder and slide towards the front of the truck. With the wind came the rain, which fell into the doorway and onto Sephiroth's face as he stood in the doorway of the truck. The raindrops rolled down his face and dripped off the ends of his hair. Yet, for some strange reason, he wasn't getting completely soaked. It was as though some magical resistance was preventing the raindrops from fully touching his skin and merely skimming over the top of a magical layer. Beside him, Cloud was shivering slightly from the biting cold of the wind, and the raindrops soaking his skin and hair. He didn't have that same unknown resistance that Sephiroth did._

_The two looked through the rain to the dark, dry lands behind them, and saw the Monster that they had been looking for. It was a large green dragon, which had just surfaced to begin hunting for its prey. The dragon had a fairly small head but a large and powerful body, and two large wings protruding from its back. Its most formidable weapon was of course its head, for that's where its fangs were, as well as where fire came out. It truly was a fierce beast, and it was no wonder that SOLDIER were called out to dispose of it._

_Cloud stared up at the dragon in awe, for he had never seen a monster so big in all his life. He had of course seen monsters before, and had fought and killed many during his training and service, but not many monsters were allowed to grow as large as this dragon was. They posed a huge threat to the people, and were usually destroyed before they could get huge. This one however, had somehow defied all that, and towered well above the truck and the pitiful soldiers inside it._

_Grabbing onto his powerful Buster Sword, Cloud prepared to do his duty and go out to fight the dragon. Before he could step out of the door a hand suddenly blocked his path and prevented him from passing. Cloud turned to the hand's owner, and stared at Sephiroth in surprise. The older SOLDIER just shook his head, and then lowered his arm, walking out of the door of the truck and into the storm, heading right for the dragon that was stopping them from getting to Nibelheim._

_The dragon looked down at Sephiroth through his tiny red eyes, and growled. It was able to find him better with its ears and nose rather than its eyes, which were weaker, and was able to figure out exactly where Sephiroth was standing, and could smell that he was live prey. Sephiroth was standing right in the open, and was in plain view of the dragon._

_Seeing that Sephiroth was an easy open target, the dragon rose up on its hind legs and lifted its head up high. A swarm of hot flames began to grow inside of its mouth, and as it lowered its head it spat out a long spray of red flames that flew down towards Sephiroth in a long, fiery stream. Inside the truck Cloud and the other soldiers winced and shielded their eyes from the flames._

_Sephiroth, on the other hand, didn't flinch or move as the flames headed towards him. As the flames approached he raised his long masamune sword and held it out upright in front of him as a blockade from the flames. It didn't seem like much of a defence, but as the flames hit him the sword seemed to act as a magical barrier. The flames spread out from where they hit the flat side of the sword and around Sephiroth, not getting anywhere near his skin and merely skimming past him. Cloud lowered his arm slightly and stared in amazement._

_The last of the flames flew past and disappeared into the air, and Sephiroth lowered his sword, not a single burn mark on him. The dragon stared down in surprise, not expecting its attack to be deflected like that. Sephiroth then clasped his sword in both hands and ran forward towards the dragon; bringing his sword back in preparation for a powerful attack, ready to take on the dragon single-handed._

_The dragon stood no chance against the awesome power of Sephiroth. When he was close enough Sephiroth swung his long masamune skilfully, and the dragon gave a loud and anguished cry of defeat. That one single stroke from the masamune was powerful enough to kill anything instantly, and the blade delved so deep into the creature's body it did the damage that was needed – in just one single hit. The dragon fell down onto the floor in a heap, defeated. As its head crashed onto the wet, rocky floor it turned and glanced at Sephiroth through its dying red eyes. It gave one last anguished cry before it fell silent. The monster had been defeated in just one hit, and not a single mark had been left on Sephiroth. Sephiroth lowered his sword, and Cloud could only watch and stare in awe._

* * *

"Sephiroth's strength is unreal," Cloud explained to the group, closing his eyes as he remembered the battle. He could still feel the immense awe he felt then, so long ago. "He is far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him."

"So... Where do you come in?" asked Aeris.

"Me?" asked Cloud, scratching his head. "I was mesmerised by the way Sephiroth fought."

To one side, Tifa slowly turned away and looked out of the bedroom window. "......" was all she could muster to say. Talking about Sephiroth brought back bad memories for her as well, as well as other worries she didn't like to voice. Instead she just decided to sit quietly and listen to Cloud's story in silence, and remember herself.

"......And then we reached Nibelheim," said Cloud, finally ready to continue the story.

* * *

_Not long after they had defeated the dragon in the mountain plains, the truck crossed into the plains where the town of Nibelheim was built. The town itself was built at the entrance to the large mountains that covered the land behind it and moved on to the next section of the continent. Nibelheim was like a guard, guarding the entrance to the mountain paths, although few dared to enter._

_Sephiroth was the first to pass through the gates of Nibelheim and stand in the entrance of the town. He looked around at the quiet streets – the people were in hiding, afraid of the monster. He saw the old well in the centre of the town, and the path leading up towards the mountains beyond. There wasn't a single person in sight, and looked pretty much like a deserted ghost town. Sephiroth turned to the entrance, back to Cloud._

_"How does it feel?" he asked Cloud curiously. Cloud looked back at him, confused. "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right? So how does it feel? I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown..."_

_Cloud blinked in puzzlement. "Ummm... how 'bout your parents?" he asked, finding it a little hard to believe that someone could not have a hometown._

_Across from him, Sephiroth crossed his arms and looked down in thought. "My mother is Jenova," he said. "She died right after giving birth to me. My father..." He fell silent for a moment. He then suddenly began to laugh, and put a hand over his mouth to try and stop himself. He then managed to stop and took a breath, before shaking his head. "What does it matter...?" he asked. He turned towards the town. "All right, let's go."_

_Cloud and the other two Shinra soldiers all walked up to the town entrance, until Cloud came to a stop just a few metres behind Sephiroth. It had been two years since he had seen Nibelheim. It hadn't changed one bit since he left. The well, the houses... even the old broken down truck in the corner by the entrance was there. After he had finished his few moments of nostalgia he turned back to Sephiroth, and headed up into the silent town of Nibelheim._

* * *

"Yo, wait a minute!!" Barret interrupted suddenly, breaking the mood. Everyone turned to him. "Isn't that, um...?" He scratched the back of his head, trying to sort out his own confusion. "The name of Sephiroth's mother... I remember Jenova. That's that damn headless spook livin' in the Shinra building."

Cloud nodded. "That's right."

Tifa finally came away from the window and sat as far back on the bed as she could. "Barret, would you please listen to what Cloud has to say?" she asked him curtly, folding her arms against her chest. "You can ask questions later."

Barret tried to protest. "Tifa, I was only..."

"Okay Cloud," Tifa said, ignoring Barret. "Continue."

"It's a reunion of childhood pals!" exclaimed Aeris.

Cloud nodded and began to continue. "......I was really surprised with Tifa," he admitted. He glanced over at Tifa, but she had once again turned to the window and was looking out at Kalm. "The town was quiet. Everyone must be staying in their homes, afraid to come out because of the monsters. No, maybe they're afraid of us..."

* * *

_Cloud and Sephiroth passed through the gates of Nibelheim and into the town centre, where all the main houses and shops were based. All the shops were shut up, apart from the inn, which was the only building with the lights switched on. They stopped just outside the entrance to the inn, with the two soldiers standing nearby._

_"We leave for the reactor at dawn," Sephiroth explained to Cloud, all the laughter now gone and he had returned to his usual, serious self. Cloud nodded, and Sephiroth turned to the two soldiers. "All we need is one lookout, so you others, get some rest." He turned towards the inn when he suddenly remembered something, and stopped. "Oh, that's right..." He turned back to the side, glancing at Cloud. "You may visit your family and friends."_

_With that Sephiroth went into the inn and walked confidently inside, letting the door fall shut behind him. One of the two soldiers followed him in, leaving Cloud and the remaining soldier standing outside in the middle of the street. When they were gone, the soldier began to shuffle anxiously._

_"Man... I'm nervous," he said suddenly. He sounded nervous, too._

_Cloud looked at him. "How come?" he asked._

_The soldier stopped shuffling about and looked at Cloud, his face almost invisible through the helmet he was wearing. "Look, you never know when a monster's gonna show up, right?" he pointed out._

_Cloud nodded, understanding what he meant. Since the breakdown of the Nibelheim reactor, many monsters had appeared in the town. The citizens of Nibelheim were all in hiding, and it was their job to vanquish that fear._

_He turned away from the soldier and across the town, in particular to a set of houses at the far end of the town square. He remembered them both so well. One of them belonged to the Lockheart family – a well-respected family in Nibelheim. The other house, just next door, belonged to Cloud's family. Cloud headed towards it and stopped outside the door hesitantly._

* * *

"This is... my house," Cloud said, stopping. "It has nothing to do with that incident five years ago."

"Yo wait, I wanna hear," said Barret.

"Me too!" said Aeris. "It's been a long time, right?"

"Tell us more!" Barret urged, pressing Cloud to continue. "You saw your family, right?"

Cloud looked at the eager faces of Aeris and Barret, and saw that there was no way he was going to be able to avoid talking about what happened when he went home for the first time. He sighed heavily, giving in.

"All right......" he said. "I don't know if you could call it a 'family'...... My father... died when I was still very young. That's why my mom...... was living alone in this house." He closed his eyes, remembering. "Yeah, I saw my mom. My mom... She was a vibrant woman. Hadn't changed at all. But a few days later she died. But when I saw her, she looked fine."


	27. Part 02: Chapter 27

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_Cloud grasped onto the door handle of his house. For some reason he felt extremely nervous about going in and seeing his mom again. It had been two years since he had left Nibelheim to join SOLDIER, and had barely been in contact with anyone from Nibelheim since then. It was a very nervous thing to do, to return home after being gone for such a long time._

_Eventually he pushed away all that anxiety and opened the door, and headed inside the house. The first thing he noticed was the familiar smell of baking – at least someone was in the house. It was a smell he was very used to, and as he sniffed the air he found that he had missed it very much._

_As he stepped into the main living room he found that very little had changed at all, and everything was left exactly the way it had been when he had left it two years before. The beds were in the same place with the same old sheets, and the kitchen was still as it should be. The scent of baking had filled the whole house just as it always did, and yet Cloud still felt like an outsider._

_His mom was standing with her back to him at the far end of the room, doing something over in the corner that Cloud couldn't see. She was fairly old now, and her blonde hair was beginning to show the faint streaks of grey that showed her age. As she heard the door close she looked up and turned towards Cloud. It was clear that she didn't recognise him at that moment, for she squinted through her old eyes as she tried to make out who it was, rubbing her hands with an old cloth._

_"Uh...?" Cloud muttered nervously. He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what he should say to his mom._

_"Ye----s?" she asked, still not realising who he was. She stared at him for a few seconds more, before her blue eyes opened wide and a large smile spread on her old face. She threw her cloth down onto the floor and dashed towards him. She stopped beside him and put her hands on Cloud's face, as though to make sure that he really was there. "Cloud!?" she exclaimed, the smile just getting larger. Cloud nodded. "Welcome home, Cloud!"_

_Cloud nodded again, still nervous. "Hi, mom," he said._

**FLASH!**

__

_Moments later Cloud's mom had him standing in the middle of the room and was walking around him in a tight circle. She wanted to see every inch of her son and see just how he had changed since he left. Two years ago when he left in the truck taking new recruits to Midgar, Cloud had been a small, fairly slim little boy. Now he was taller and looked much stronger. Still, being the mother she was, she had to make sure._

_"Come, come... Let me take a look at you!" she said as she walked around, inspecting him. Cloud did as he was told and didn't move while his mother walked around with her usual concerned smile on her face as she looked him up and down. "Hmmm......" She looked up into Cloud's face, and smiled. "You look so handsome. So this is a SOLDIER uniform?"_

_Cloud looked at his mom. "......Mom, I..."_

**FLASH!**

__

_"My, how you've grown," said his mom. "I'll bet the girls never leave you alone."_

_Cloud didn't look up from the bed and continued to stare up at the ceiling. As he lay there his mother walked around the perimeter of the bed, looking him over with a gentle smile on her fair, slightly old face. She was not as strong as she used to be, but she still seemed as vibrant as ever._

_Cloud sighed heavily. "...Not really," he replied lazily, still refusing to get up._

_Mrs. Strife looked at him with a flash of concern. "...I'm worried about you," she admitted. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked right up beside her son. "There are a lot of temptations in the city... I'd feel a lot better if you just settled down and had a nice girlfriend._

_"...I'm all right," Cloud said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then sighed, completely relaxed on the soft, familiar bed._

_Still his mother wouldn't quit. "You should have... and older girlfriend," she said, thinking hard. "One that'll take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you."_

_"......I'm not interested."_

**FLASH!**

__

_"Are you eating right?" Cloud's mother asked for what must have been the hundredth time. She was only concerned for the welfare of her son, but Cloud was beginning to tire of the question._

_"I'm all right," he assured her, also for the hundredth time. "The company takes care of me."_

_"Is that so?" his mother asked, folding her arms and thinking hard. "You can't cook, right? I was worried sick about how you were doing..."_

**FLASH!**

__

_Mrs. Strife turned. "Cloud...?"_

**FLASH!**

__

_"You know, Cloud......"_

**FLASH!**

__

_"......Isn't that right, Cloud?"_

**FLASH!**

__

_She turned again. "I will always be your mother..."_

* * *

"......Let's stop this......" Cloud interrupted suddenly, turning away. He couldn't bear to walk about his mother anymore. Remembering her now was just too painful.

No one contradicted him, and by this point both Barret and Aeris both wished they hadn't pressed so hard to make him tell them what happened, especially since his mother was now dead. So they all waited patiently for a few more minutes while Cloud recomposed himself, and was ready to continue the story.

* * *

_After Cloud was done in his own house he left. He was going to go straight to the inn where Sephiroth would be waiting for him, but instead he stayed outside for a while longer and slowly headed over towards the house next door to his, where the Lockhearts... where Tifa... lived. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer from inside. As he pushed on the door he found it unlocked, so he thought that someone must have been in. So he walked inside._

* * *

"Cloud...?" Tifa asked suddenly, speaking up for the first time and looking at Cloud. Cloud looked over expectantly. She seemed a little hesitant, but asked the question anyway. "Did you go into my house?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah..." he answered. "I thought you might be home."

* * *

_In the hallway, Cloud began to brush himself off before he went in. Again it had been a long time since he had been anywhere near this house, and a long time since he had seen Tifa, and he wanted to look his best at least if she was in. Once he was sure he was clean he walked into the main hall._

_He couldn't remember much what Tifa's house looked like on the inside, but it seemed pretty homely and normal enough. It was more packed than his house, and there was a large table in the middle of the dining room where Tifa and her father would sit and eat their meals. There was no smell of baking in this house, and just seemed like an ordinary family home. There was no sign of Tifa on the ground floor, so Cloud headed on upstairs, wondering if Tifa was maybe in her room._

* * *

"Cloud...?" Tifa interrupted again. "Did you go into my room?"

"Yeah......" said Cloud.

* * *

_Cloud walked into Tifa's room, at first only peeking around the door in case she wasn't expecting him to come. It was common knowledge that Shinra were coming to fix the reactor and kill the monsters that were invading the town, but he was surprised that Tifa hadn't come to meet them – to see if Cloud was amongst them or not. He hadn't written to her, but they did make a promise before he left._

_Looking around the comforts of Tifa's tidy bedroom, Cloud could see that she wasn't inside either. The house was completely empty apart from him. Realising that he was the only one in the house Cloud felt strangely a little more relaxed. He wouldn't have known what to say to Tifa anyway. He walked more fully into the bedroom and looked around, still feeling like an outcast that had never set foot there before._

_Her room was pretty plain but comfortable, with a large bed in the corner with a few teddies resting on top of it. There was a dressing table and a desk, and even a piano in the corner beside her bed, with a single song sheet resting on it. He didn't remember Tifa ever being able to play the piano._

_Cloud took a few moments to look around the room. He headed over to the window and looked out at the town centre below, which was still quiet. He could see the inn clearly, and he knew that he should be heading back soon. But before he left he headed over to Tifa's desk, wondering if he should leave a note to say that he had been there. As he reached the desk he saw a letter lying on the desk, and for a moment, he thought he saw his name on it. So, curious, he picked it up._

* * *

"The letter..." Cloud muttered quietly, running a hand through his hair.

"Did you read it?" My letter?"

"Yeah..." replied Cloud, still thinking.

"You remember what it said...?"

Cloud turned away and thought for a moment, still trying to recall everything that was said. He then nodded and turned back. "I remember clearly," he answered. "I read it... It was a letter addressed to Tifa from the son of the guy that runs the General Store..."

* * *

_Tifa, how are you? I just arrived in Midgar eight days ago. Yesterday, all of Nibelheim got together to welcome me. The only person that we couldn't get a hold of was Cloud. But everyone said he wasn't really that close to us. So even if he asked, he probably wouldn't have come anyway. Well, enough about him. Midgar is really something. But to tell you the truth, I feel so behind on everything... So out of it. Even the rooms of people in the slums are clean. Right now I'm living in the slums, but I plan to move to a really nice room, like the ones I've seen in magazines, once I make some money. ...But to do that, I have to find a job first._

_That's right._

_I still haven't found a job yet. I lied to my parents and told them I found a great job with Shinra, Inc. I wonder if it's too late to go back. Sometimes I think I should've taken over my parents' store._

* * *

Cloud paused for a moment, still trying to recall everything. Noticing that he had stopped, Tifa looked at him.

"Cloud... Do you remember all of it?" she asked him.

Slowly, Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I remember it all," he said. "Because there was some stuff about me."

* * *

_I just made it here to Midgar but all I think about is Nibelheim. Hey, Tifa... is that stupid old water tower still working? Is the old man at the inn doing well? Are my parents still at the shop everyday? Have any monsters attacked? And most of all, how are you, Tifa? It feels like I haven't seen you for years. We were talking about you last night. Everyone likes you. But because everyone idolises you, I couldn't very well stab them in the back. I always acted cool, but actually, I was afraid of being jilted. Wow, if I keep writing like this, this'll become a love letter! So, I think I'll stop here. Take care. I'll write again._

_P. S. Write me back, okay?_

_After finishing the letter Cloud put it back on the desk and very quickly left Tifa's room, feeling that he had intruded enough on her privacy for one day, and it was absolutely clear that she was not in the house where he had expected her to be. So he headed down the stairs and out of the door, back onto the lonely, empty Nibelheim streets._

_There was no sign of the single Shinra soldier as he left Tifa's house, just as there was no sign of anyone on the streets – they were all still too scared to come out, which was probably enhanced with Shinra's presence in the town. Shinra may have supplied the town with power and some money from the Nibelheim reactor, but everyone knew their military strength. There was nothing else left for Cloud to do, so he headed briskly towards the inn._

_He felt very relieved as he walked into the inn, feeling a little more comfortable now. He had been away from Nibelheim for so long he felt more like a visitor than a citizen, and was glad to be out of the plain view of the people in their houses. An old man was standing behind the desk inside the inn, and was busy on a crossword puzzle in a newspaper that he was reading. Another man was standing in the corner, with his back to Cloud. The old man behind the desk only looked up briefly as Cloud entered, before turning back to his puzzle._

_"The, uh... The whole inn's booked up by Shinra for the night," he told Cloud, and continued to do his puzzle. Then he stopped. "......?" He put down his pen and looked up at Cloud, narrowing his old eyes so he could see a little more clearly. He blinked. "Cloud...? Is it you, Cloud?" Cloud nodded. "It must've been two years. Say, you've really moved up in the world, being under Sephiroth's command." He folded up his newspaper and put it on the shelves under the desk. "So, what do you need, Cloud?"_

_Cloud crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. "Let me know the situation of the town," he asked. He should at least get up to date on the situation._

_"Now about the town..." the old man commented, taking off his glasses. "A lot of monsters have been appearing in the last 12 months. Nothing much exciting happens in a little town like this. It was all right when they were building the reactor. ...While they were still building it. But once it was completed, it's been bad. Within a few years, all the trees on the mountain have withered away. I don't know if the reactor was good or bad... I mean, it's easy to say that it was a bad idea now. But now, what can you do about it...?" He put his glasses back on and reached for his paper. "Anyhow, we've got to get rid of the monsters... Then, we'll all be able to relax a little bit."_

_Cloud nodded, understanding what the old man was talking about. There were many towns now where reactors had been built, and in every one the land had begun to wither away, and all the life disappearing from it. Of course Shinra denied there being a link between the reactors and the state of the land, but people still believed it to be the fault of Shinra, and blamed them for it. But there was nothing anyone could really do about it. He pushed himself up away from the desk._

_"Where's Sephiroth?" he asked. He had gotten enough information for one day._

_The old man nodded his head to the staircase. "Yeah, he's upstairs," he said._

_"Give me a room to stay."_

_The old inn owner shook his head. "It's all reserved for you Shinra people, so I don't mind," he informed Cloud. He took his glasses off again. "But, wouldn't you find it more comfortable staying at home?"_

_Cloud looked down at the ground, going red a little. The inn keeper seemed to understand at that point and said no more, instead turning towards his paper and continuing to tackle his tricky crossword puzzle. Cloud was about to head upstairs to his room, when another deep voice suddenly spoke out to him._

_"......Hmmmmm? Is Shinra here to get rid of the monsters?"_

_Surprised, Cloud stopped and turned back. The man who had been standing in the corner had now turned towards Cloud, and Cloud could see him more clearly. He was very peculiar looking, with large muscles and... a cloak tied around his neck. Even with his strange appearance, Cloud got the impression that it wasn't a good idea to point this out._

_"And who are you?" Cloud asked._

_The strange-looking man flicked his cloak behind him and stood proudly. "I'm Zangan," he said, his voice full of pride in himself. "I travel around the world teaching children martial arts."_

_All of a sudden he leaped up into the air, flying directly over Cloud until he landed on the floor on the opposite side. Cloud stared in amazement, unable to believe that someone with such a strong, heavy frame as his should be able to jump as though he was as light as a feather. Zangan flicked his cloak back again and turned to Cloud, the pride showing on his face, and he wasn't finished yet._

_"I have 128 students all over the world!" he boasted, and crossed his arms. "In this town, a girl named Tifa is my student."_

_That caught Cloud's attention. "Did you say Tifa?" he demanded, going right up to Zangan._

_Zangan was pleased with the reaction. "Tifa has good sense," he told Cloud. "She'll be a powerful fighter." He suddenly jumped up again and flew over Cloud's head, landing expertly on the floor behind him, where he had originally stood. He then clenched his fists, ready for battle. "I want to see some Shinra techniques. And if you see anything you can use, you might want to incorporate some of my techniques." He lowered his arms and gave a little wave. "Well, good luck."_

_Zangan then turned away from Cloud and back towards the notice boards, muttering quietly to himself once again. Cloud decided this was probably a good time to make his escape, and very hurriedly made his way back upstairs towards the first floor of the inn._

_He was surprised to find Sephiroth standing outside of the inn's room and standing beside a window, looking out at the scenery beyond. Cloud walked up and stood beside him._

_"What are you looking at?" he asked Sephiroth. There was a creak on the stairs behind him as the soldier assigned to look out came up the stairs and went into the bedroom._

_Sephiroth didn't turn, and continued to look out. "...This scenery......" he said. "I feel like I know this place......"_

_Cloud looked out of the window to where Sephiroth was looking. There wasn't much to see. All that could be seen was the dry, dead mountains and the dead patches of land that surrounded them, as well as the side of the old mansion built at the north of the town. And Sephiroth had never been to Nibelheim before, so there was no explanation as to why it was so familiar to him. Eventually Sephiroth sighed and turned to Cloud._

_"We have an early start tomorrow. You should get some sleep," he said._

_Cloud nodded. "Yeah, let's get some sleep."_

_"I've hired a guide to the Mako reactor," Sephiroth explained. "I've heard she's young. I hope we can rely on her..."_

_He turned back to the window, lost in his thoughts again. While he was thinking, Cloud headed towards the bedrooms, thinking about who the 'young girl' was. He had a terrible feeling he knew who it was, but he hoped that he was wrong._


	28. Part 02: Chapter 28

**Final Fantasy 7**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

_The following morning the door to the inn burst open and Cloud ran out, cursing himself for sleeping so late when he had a job to do. Sephiroth was a very patient person, but he wouldn't wait for those who couldn't be bothered to show up on time. As he ran out of the inn and turned towards the north of the town, the door to the shop next door also opened and a young boy ran out holding a camera, and followed Cloud eagerly towards the north sector of the town._

_To Cloud's immense relief Sephiroth was waiting for him at the top of the town, standing near to the entrance of the old mansion that guarded the way into the mountains that rose up behind Nibelheim. The other two soldiers were standing nearby, looking around to make sure no one wanted to start any trouble._

_There were a few more people to be seen now that the dragon had been killed. A few faces could be seen peeking out of windows and standing in doorways, curious to know what was going on. But still no one dared to leave their homes – not as long as Shinra was still there. Only one man was brave enough to leave his home and to one side in the clearing near to Sephiroth – watching his every move with a concerned and almost tense look on his face. As Cloud saw him he immediately felt that there was something strangely familiar about him and the way he looked. He was sure he knew him from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. Sephiroth looked up as Cloud ran up._

"_Once the guide gets here, we're heading out," he said plainly to Cloud as the young boy skidded to a stop beside him. Cloud nodded his head, relieved that he wasn't the only one who was late._

_The man who had been standing to one side had remained silent up until that point, but as Sephiroth spoke he perked up and moved forward, the tense look on his face increasing._

"_Listen to me, Sephiroth," he said curtly. "In case something happens..."_

"..._Trust me," Sephiroth replied, waving a hand dismissively._

"_It'll be all right, Dad! I have two men from SOLDIER with me."_

_The man, Cloud and Sephiroth all turned towards the town at the sound of the light, cheery voice. The voice belonged to a young girl of about sixteen, and the moment he saw her Cloud gasped in both amazement and horror. She wore a smart red and white dress and had a large hat over her long brown hair, but nothing had really changed about her. She still appeared the same. Cloud was in awe, but was also horrified that his worst fears had been true._

_The girl looked around, a beaming smile on her fair face. "I'm Tifa," she said cheerily. "Nice to meet you!"_

"_Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed, running forward. "You're the guide?"_

_Tifa nodded, the smile remaining on her face. "That's right," she said. She clasped her hands together in front of her. "I just happen to be the number one guide in this town." She grinned at Cloud's surprised face._

"_It's too dangerous!" Cloud protested, shaking his head furiously. "I can't involve you in something like this!"_

_Tifa put her hands on her hips, almost ready to protest, but Sephiroth quickly interrupted them. "Then there's no problem if you protect her," he said bluntly. "...Let's go." He turned away and began to walk off towards the mountains, but as he did the young boy who had been standing shyly nearby until then suddenly ran forward, tightly holding the camera in his shy, little hands._

"_Ummm... Mr. Sephiroth!" he stammered nervously. Sephiroth came to a stop and slowly turned his head round to look at the boy, glancing at him through the long strands of silver hair. The boy held up his camera. "Please let me take one picture for a memento! Tifa, can you ask him for me, too......?"_

_Tifa looked at the boy's eager, hopeful face, and then nodded. She stood to one side, and Cloud moved so that he was standing beside her. Sephiroth, on the other hand, seemed a little more hesitant to get into the picture like Tifa and Cloud. He turned away for a moment, thinking, before eventually he made up his mind and stood beside Tifa. He didn't say anything or make any effort to smile, and just stood there blankly, waiting for it to be over. The young boy jumped for joy as he lifted the camera up to his eye, and focused on the three._

"_Cheeeeeese!"_

_The camera flashed as it took the picture, and the boy lowered his camera. The moment that it was over Sephiroth quickly moved away, still showing no signs of emotion or caring for the boy's excitement._

"_Great, thank you!" the boy thanked sincerely, hardly able to contain his excitement as he clutched the camera tightly against his chest. He smiled up at Tifa and Cloud, who smiled back. "I'll give each of you a copy once I get it developed!" He then turned and ran off back towards the shop, wanting it to be developed as quickly as possible. And once he was gone, Sephiroth and his group moved quickly through the back of the town and into the mountains of Nibelheim._

_There wasn't much of a change in the mood between the town of Nibelheim and the mountains of Nibel. The entire mountain range was filled with a cold, dark mist that seemed to wind its way through the maze of mountains, choking the life out of everything that grew there. It was thought that the mist originated from the fumes that spewed out of the Nibelheim reactor, which was built deep within the mountains away from the town, but the mountains were always cold and misty. Like the town of Nibelheim itself, it was like a ghostly graveyard for the dead, with hardly any life in it apart from the monsters that lived there._

_For as long as Cloud could remember the mountains of Nibel had always been cold, dark and foreboding. Hardly anyone ever went there, and those that did were never seen again. It was a dangerous place to be, and the only way to pass through the mountains were by travelling across the winding paths, and over the rickety old bridges that connected the mountains together._

* * *

"A Mako Reactor was built in Mt. Nibel," explained Cloud. Thinking back he could remember the thickness of the mist in certain parts. "The cold air in the mountains of Nibel. It was no different."

* * *

_Tifa was the one who led the way through the maze of mountain paths that wound their way throughout Mt. Nibel. Cloud, Sephiroth and the two Shinra soldiers followed her lead, since she was the only one who knew the whole way to the Mako reactor, although she herself had never been inside – it was always locked up to prevent people from getting in._

_Eventually she came to a stop at the end of a ledge on the first set of mountains within the range, and turned back towards the group. There was a deep crevice between the path they were on and the adjoining mountain and only a long, old wooden bridge joined the two together. It didn't look particularly safe, but it was clearly the only way they were going to get across._

"_It gets harder from here!" she announced clearly to them all. "Follow me!"_

_With that she turned and stepped up bravely onto the old, rotting bridge, without even a flicker of fear crossing her face. The bridge creaked loudly and swayed a little as she stepped onto it, but Tifa just ignored this and simply continued to walk up the bridge. Sephiroth followed her close behind and soon passed her, taking the lead in crossing the bridge. Cloud made sure he stayed as close to Tifa as he could, wanting to make sure that she didn't fall from the bridge._

_Each and every step they took across the bridge felt like a nightmare. The wooden planks were so old they looked ready to snap at any moment, completely worn out from years of being left to endure the harsh weather that ran through the mountains. Yet surprisingly the bridge seemed to stay intact, and it looked as though they were going to be able to make it across the bridge to the other side without any trouble at all._

_Unfortunately things were not going to go as they had hoped. The bridge was just too old to carry the weight of five people all at once. As Tifa took a step forward she felt the bridge give a hefty shake, and a loud snapping sound could be heard from the ropes at the other end of the bridge._

"_Uh... the bridge!!" she cried out to warn everyone._

_The group on the bridge all looked around in a panic as they saw the frayed ends of the rope at the end of the bridge suddenly snap and fall away, releasing the wooden planks and letting them tumble away. The bridge jerked violently as gravity took over and began to pull it down towards the opposite mountain wall._

_Cloud was beside Tifa in a second, grasping her hand tightly as she lost her balance and clung onto the side of the bridge for dear life. Yet as the bridge lost its only link to the mountain and fell, he lost his own grip on the rope he was holding onto and fell, carrying Tifa with him. All he could see were white and dark blurs of the mountains, the faint images of others falling alongside of him..._

_By the time they had finished their fall, Cloud and Tifa had both landed together at the foot of the mountain, lying limply on the harsh, rocky paths that lay even deeper beneath the mountains. As Cloud opened his eyes he could see Tifa lying next to him, her hair covering her face, and her hat thrown off and lying in a crumpled heap beneath her head. He pushed himself to his feet, his body aching all over, amazed that he was still alive. At the same time Tifa also pushed herself up, brushing her hair out of her eyes and picking her hat up from the floor. She looked around, confused, before she finally met Cloud's gaze and sighed with immense relief. Before she could say anything Sephiroth and one of the two Shinra soldiers walked up to them, also unhurt, although a little grazed from the fall._

"_Everyone seems to be all right," Sephiroth said calmly, looking around. He flicked his silver hair out of his face, and turned to Tifa. "Can we get back to where we were?"_

_Tifa looked around the area where they had landed. They had landed on a set of rocky paths at the foot of the mountains, a long way down from where they wanted to be. There was a cave entrance in the mountain nearby, which she thought might lead them to where they wanted to go. But she was not so familiar with this part of the mountains._

"_These caves are intertwined, just like an ant farm..." she said, looking down in thought. She looked around the group. "Oh, and Sephiroth... There seems to be one person missing..."_

_Slowly Sephiroth lowered his head. "It may sound cold, but we've got no time to search for him," he told her simply, making no effort to hide the truth of the situation. "We can't go back now, so we must go on." He looked up. "We'll travel together from here."_

_So they walked together up the path that led to the foot of the mountain they had landed by. Of course now they were a long way from where they wanted to be, but they should still be able to make it to the reactor in plenty of time to solve the problem and make it back to Nibelheim without any more problems. There was a cave at the foot of the mountain, so with no other way to go, they went inside._

_Tifa gasped as she walked in, amazed by the inside of the cavern. The walls were old and rough, but they were also glowing slightly with a strange energy that changed into many faint and beautiful colours. She took a few steps ahead into the cave and looked around._

"_What's this?" Cloud asked._

"_A mysteriously coloured cave..." Tifa whispered. Even though she whispered, her voice could be heard echoing softly throughout the paths of the cavern, reverberating off the walls back to her._

"_It must be the Mako energy," Sephiroth assumed, walking up beside them his with arms folded, his masamune sword resting at his side. "This mountain is especially abundant in it. That's why the Mako reactor was built here."_

_He headed on into the cavern ahead of the group. Clearly he wasn't impressed by the way the Mako energy flowed through the inside of the mountain, but it amazed Cloud and Tifa. On the outside the mountains were dead and lifeless, but on the inside it looked as though life was still trying to hang on. They had no time to stop and watch the beautiful glowing colours however, for they soon had to run to catch up to Sephiroth as he reached the opposite end of the cave and stopped beside the cavern exit. When the two had caught up they walked outside, where Tifa gasped again as another beautiful sight caught her eye._

_In the clearing ahead of them was a beautiful natural fountain that was filled with water. The strange thing about the water was that it had a gorgeous glowing aura, like a magical energy that flowed through it. It was so very rare to see something like a natural fountain, and even more rare to have water such as that flowing through it._

"..._And what's this?" asked Cloud again, continuing to ask questions._

"_A Mako fountain," Sephiroth explained to him. "It's a miracle of nature."_

"_It's so beautiful," said Tifa, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the glow._

_She walked up towards and stepped over the small rocky ridge that surrounded the fountain. The deep grooves of the fountain were filled with the glowing Mako, and were almost crystal clear. As she leaned over she could see her reflection looking back at her with the same glowing aura, and she could feel that there was something mystical and miraculous about the fountain. Then her eyes saddened as she remembered the dead look of the rest of Nibel._

"_If the Mako reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up, too..." she mumbled sadly._

_Sephiroth walked up and stood beside her, followed closely by Cloud. "Materia," Sephiroth said. He also looked into the Mako, and saw the three reflections of himself, Cloud and Tifa looking back at him. "When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to be able to see materia in its natural state."_

_Tifa nodded and looked back into the fountain, feeling fairly sure that Sephiroth was deliberately avoiding answering her question. She knew it was true, though. Thanks to the reactors everything around Nibelheim was dead, and it was only a matter of time before the Mako of this fountain disappeared too, and left behind a lonely fountain corpse dreaming of its past._

"_By the way..." Cloud said suddenly, remembering another question he wanted to ask. "Why is it that when you use materia you can use magic too?"_

_Sephiroth glanced at him through his serious green eyes, and almost smiled. Almost. "You were in SOLDIER and didn't even know that?" he asked in disbelief. He shook his head and indicated the Mako in front of them. "...The knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is held in the materia. Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the Land and the Planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the planet calling up magic ......or so they say."_

"_Magic......" Cloud whispered, looking deep into the shining pool of Mako energy. "A mysterious power..."_

_Sephiroth stared at him for a moment, the corners of his mouth tugging slightly into what could have been a smile. Then, without any warning, he suddenly laughed out loud. Tifa and Cloud stared in amazement as Sephiroth laughed heartily in front of them, obviously finding what Cloud said extremely funny. Even so, Cloud was quite confused as to why Sephiroth was laughing._

"_Did I say somethin' funny?"_

_Sephiroth stopped laughing and looked at Cloud. "A man once told me never to use such an unscientific term such as mysterious power!" he said. The laughter was gone now, and the serious look had returned to his fair face. "I still remember how angry he was."_

"_Who was that?"_

"_Hojo of Shinra, Inc..." Sephiroth replied. "An inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes."_

"_A Mako fountain..." Tifa interrupted, leaning over again. She wanted to reach out and touch the water, but another part of her didn't want to disturb its peaceful rest. "So this is where the knowledge of the Ancients is."_

_While she was still looking Sephiroth stood upright and moved away from the fountain, feeling that they had wasted enough time now looking at it. Cloud followed him, with the remaining Shinra soldier behind. Tifa stayed where she was for a few moments more, still thinking about how the fountain would one day dry up, and that she would like to see the fountain again before it dried up completely. She then realised that Sephiroth and the others were already beginning to go on ahead, so she quickly ran on to catch up with them._

_The rest of the walk up towards the reactor passed by with no more distractions, and they managed to catch up on the time that they had lost. As they finally came out of the last cavern and onto the long, winding path that led up to the top of the final mountain, they could see the old Shinra reactor lying ahead of them._

_The reactor indeed looked very old and worn after suffering many years out in the cold winds of Mt. Nibel, and thick layers of rust were beginning to form across it. It was no wonder that it had begun to malfunction after all these years, and it probably needed to be completely rebuilt rather than just a quick repair. Tifa led the way all the way to the top, and when they finally reached it she turned and smiled at everyone, her face slightly red from their steady climb._

"_We finally made it," she said excitedly. "We sure took the long way through."_

_Cloud walked up to her. "Tifa, you wait here."_

"_I'm going inside, too!" Tifa protested fiercely, shaking her head. "I wanna see!"_

_Sephiroth looked over at her as Cloud shook his head. "Only authorised people are allowed in," he explained briefly to her. "This place is full of Shinra's industrial secrets."_

"_But!"_

_Sephiroth turned to the single Shinra soldier standing nearby. "Take care of the lady," he ordered him. He and Cloud then headed up the stairs of the reactor towards the locked doors the blocked unauthorised entry. When they walked up Sephiroth typed in the access code on the control panel beside the door, and it slid open to let them through._

_As they went through Tifa made to follow them, determined to go in no matter what they said. Yet as she approached the Shinra soldier ran up and stood at the bottom of the stairs, preventing her from passing. He held out a hand and shook his head at her. Angrily, Tifa stamped her foot against the ground._

"_Mm, man!" she wailed angrily. She turned and stormed off a few steps, before she turned back to the soldier with the angry look still on her face. "Better take real good care of me then!"_

_Inside the reactor, Cloud and Sephiroth moved quickly through the winding corridors that led towards the heart of the reactor. The reactor was made primarily for sucking up the Mako energy, so the builders never bothered with proper flooring and simply left the grated panels and pipes as a means of moving around. They moved quickly and steadily towards the final room at the back of the reactor where the main power pods where. All the many pods were lined up alongside each other, until they stopped by a single door at the top of the stairs._

_Seeing the door made Sephiroth pause for a moment, before he regained himself and moved quickly up the stairs towards the door. Even though all the power was contained in this room, the main control room lay beyond the door at the top of the stairs. Yet he was hesitant for some reason as he looked at the door. There was a large metal nameplate above the door, with the name 'JENOVA' imprinted on it in bold letters._

"_This is ......Jenova, right?" asked Sephiroth. "The lock won't open..."_

_He suddenly turned and moved back down the stairs, and stopped beside the first pod in the rows beside the stairs. He looked down at the pipes and valves that connected all of the pods together, before he nodded his head and turned to Cloud._

"_This is the reason for the malfunction," he stated. "This port is broken. Cloud, close the valve."_

_Cloud did as he was ordered and went to the port, beginning to work on closing the valve so that no more Mako could leak out onto the floor. While he was working Sephiroth went over to the other side and stopped beside the first of the pods, looking down in thought._

"_Why did it break...?" he wondered aloud._

_He turned towards the pod, where the glowing light of the Mako inside could be seen. Curious to know more, he reached up and grabbed the rim of the window, pulling himself up so he could see inside. He then let himself drop down, a knowing look on his face._

"..._Now I see, Hojo," he muttered to himself, his voice quiet. "But, even doing this, will not put you on the same level as Professor Gast." He saw Cloud looking at him in bewilderment, so he turned and began to explain. "This is a system that freezes and condenses Mako energy... That is, when it's working correctly. Now... what does Mako energy become when it's further condensed?"_

_Cloud scratched his head. "Uh, umm...... Oh yeah! It becomes Materia."_

"_Right, normally," Sephiroth said, nodding his head. He glanced at the pod. "But Hojo put something else in there. ...Take a look. Look through the window."_

_Slightly nervous Cloud walked over and climbed up the side of the pod to see through the window. His blue eyes then opened wide in absolute horror._

_Looking back at him through the window was a face – but it was no ordinary face. It was fairly human in appearance – it had two eyes, a nose and a mouth, but the rest of it was completely deformed and mutated – it was a monster. Cloud lost his hold on the window and dropped down to the ground, his body cold and shaking in fright._

"_Wh... What is this!?" he yelled._

_Sephiroth had turned away, his arms folded against his chest. "Normal members of SOLDIER are humans that have been showered with Mako. You're different from the others, but still human. But, what are they? They've been exposed to a high degree of Mako, far more than you."_

_Shakily Cloud climbed to his feet. "...Is this some kind of monster?"_

"_Exactly," said Sephiroth. "And it's Hojo of Shinra that's produced these monsters." He narrowed his eyes. "Mutated living organisms produced by Mako energy. That's what these monsters really are."_

_Cloud shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. He turned to Sephiroth. "Normal members of SOLDIER?" he asked. "You mean you're different?"_

_He stopped as he saw Sephiroth, and stared. Beside him Sephiroth had turned away from him, and Cloud could see that his whole body was shaking slightly, although it was growing stronger. Sephiroth reached up and grabbed hold of his head, tugging at the long lengths of silver hair that hung from his head. He shook his head fiercely, his eyes glaring._

"_N... no......" he gasped, his voice quaking in both anger and fear. "...Was I?"_

_Cloud made to go to Sephiroth, but quickly stepped back as Sephiroth suddenly grabbed hold of his masamune and pulled it out, swiping it swiftly against the pod. Cloud jumped back in a fright as the blade struck the side of the pod, cutting a deep, long scratch in its side. When Cloud landed on the ground Sephiroth struck the pod another two times, an uncontrollable rage beginning to grow in him. Cloud could tell something was wrong._

"..._Was I created this way, too?" Sephiroth asked, his green eyes small as he glared furiously at the silver surface of the pod. "Am I the same as all these monsters......"_

"..._Sephiroth."_

_He jumped violently as Sephiroth struck the pod again with his sword, cutting another deep scratch in its body. He then turned to Cloud, his eyes flared and angry, filled with rage._

"_You saw it!" he yelled. "All of them... were humans..."_

"_Humans!?" Cloud exclaimed. "No way!" He remembered the faint human-like features of the monster in the pod that Sephiroth was striking. He couldn't believe it. Neither could Sephiroth._

"..._I've always felt since I was small..." Sephiroth began, lowering his sword for a moment. "That I was different from the others. Special, in some way. But..." He clenched his fists tightly, the shaking beginning again. "Not like this..."_

_A faint explosion sounded behind them, and the two turned up towards one of the higher pods. Smoke burst from the sides of the pod as the hinges were strained to their utmost peak. Inside the pod came the sound of an angry roar, and through the icy clouds inside Cloud could see an angry face reaching forwards, roaring angrily. The front of the pod then burst open and the door fell down towards the ground, releasing the creature trapped within it._

_It was indeed a human, although it was not a human anymore. Perhaps once it had been a human, but now, thanks to the extreme levels of Mako that it had been exposed to, it was now a monster. The monster lay on the open door of the pod and roared again, its normal human voice no longer able to work. Every ounce of its humanity had been lost forever._


	29. Part 02: Chapter 29

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR**

_I apologise for the long, long, long delay of updates in this fic, but I've been taking a little break in writing this to refuel my passion for it. As in, playing Final Fantasy 7 to get me fired up again, and, um, downloading many theme songs such as 'One Winged Angel' and such. Just one of my little tricks to keep the passion flowing…_

_Thanks for all the many reviews I have had so far – they are really appreciated! To those who criticise me using the exact game script: I heartily agree that it is a little unoriginal, but I have placed a disclaimer saying I don't claim credit, and since I have started I may as well finish. I mainly write these kinds of fics (novelisations) as practice for my own novels – it's all just practice to me. If ever removed this fic, I would put it up on my website for those of you who do enjoy reading it. I will, however, consider creating a new script when I novelise Final Fantasy 8, 9, 10 and X-2. I'm also trying to add a bit of my own original dialogue, all right?_

_So, thanks to everyone who has reviewed the fic thus far. Now let's get back to where I left off. Onward with the fic, people!!!_

* * *

**Final Fantasy7 **

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"Am I… human? I didn't quite understand what Sephiroth was saying at that time. I was even more surprised by the fact that Shinra was producing monsters."

Cloud paused for a minute and looked around at the faces of the others, examining their reactions. As usual he could see the anger burning in Barret's face as he struggled to contain his anger – this was just more fuel for the fire of his hatred for the Shinra. Aeris was busy looking down at her boots, lost in thought. Red XIII was the same, looking away from Cloud and thinking hard. Lastly there was Tifa. She was still sitting on the bed closest to the window, a silent, sad look in her brown eyes.

"Damn, Shinra!" Barret exploded suddenly, making everyone in the room snap out of their thoughtful trances. They all looked at Barret jumping madly on the floor, the wooden planks shaking beneath his feet. No doubt the people below could hear it, but Barret didn't care. "The more I hear, the more I hate 'em!"

"……Who would have ever thought that the Mako Reactor had a secret like that?" asked Tifa.

"That would certainly seem to explain the increase in the number of monsters recently," Red XIII muttered thoughtfully. His tail gently swished across the floor, curling itself around the leg of a chair. Red XIII didn't seem to notice, and looked up at Barret. "I think we should listen carefully to Cloud. Don't you think so, Barret?"

"(Why you talkin' to me!?)" Barret whispered sharply to Red XIII. He then realised how loudly he had whispered and quickly turned away to hide his blushing face. He folded his arms and tapped the floor heavily with his boot. When he had finished pushing down the burning sensation in his face he turned back. "Yeah, mebbe so," he admitted. He then sighed heavily. "Wanna take a breather here?"

The others all nodded. It had been a long story, and it wasn't finished yet. The group left the inn and separated from each other for a bit, and went to explore the quiet town of Kalm. There wasn't much to explore – Kalm was a very quiet town with very few shops and limited supplies. It wasn't a tourist town like towns from across the continent, just a simple town on the outskirts of Midgar, where people stopped and rested on their way to the city. After about twenty minutes the group reassembled in their room at the inn, ready to continue the story.

Tifa was the last to arrive back at the inn. She had spent all her time sat in the middle of the town by an old well, watching all the people pass her by. Eventually she had become oblivious to the people walking around her, until a full twenty minutes had passed by and she realised that everyone else had already turned to the inn. When she arrived the others were all waiting for her.

"……I get it," Barret was saying as she walked up, finishing off a conversation with Red XIII. They stopped talking as Tifa walked in and stood in her usual spot by the bed, waiting for the story to continue.

"Tifa…" Aeris said suddenly. Tifa looked up. "You were waiting outside then?"

Tifa tilted her head. "……Yes?" she asked.

"We returned to Nibelheim," Cloud began, interrupted Aeris and preventing her from asking her next question. So she sat back on the bed beside Tifa and nodded at Cloud to continue with his story. Her question could wait. "Sephiroth confined himself at the inn. He didn't even try to talk to me."

"Then all of a sudden he just disappeared, right?" asked Tifa.

Cloud nodded. "We found him inside the biggest building in Nibelheim."

"The villagers used to call it Shinra Mansion," Tifa added.

"Long ago, people from Shinra used to live in that mansion…" said Cloud.

* * *

_The door to the inn opened as Cloud and the remaining Shinra soldier ran out into the street and looked around. They couldn't believe that no one had seen or heard Sephiroth leave the inn – he had slipped off completely without a trace._

_At that time of the morning the streets of Nibelheim were quiet, but the sense of calm that came after the defeat of the dragon had gone. In fact it had intensified since their return from the reactor, and people remained safe inside their homes away from the Shinra. Cloud couldn't really blame them – Sephiroth had been acting very strangely since they returned. He hadn't said a word, and locked himself in his room. That was why Cloud was very worried to find Sephiroth had gone._

_The sound of men talking drew Cloud and the soldier towards the Shinra Mansion at the north of the town. There were a number of people standing outside the old, rusty gates of the mansion, blockading it. One of those men was Tifa's dad, which didn't surprise Cloud one bit – he didn't trust the Shinra in the town at all, and trusted Sephiroth even less. He also recognised Zangan, Tifa's martial arts instructor, also guarding the gate._

_The group of men all looked up and scowled as Cloud and the soldier ran up, and quickly moved back into position around the gate. As they approached Tifa's dad stepped forward and stood in front of Cloud, a distrusting scowl on his face._

_"Until we know that there's no danger, we're not moving," he said simply, and walked back to his comrades and continued to block the gate. The Shinra soldier stepped forward, and the men moved just enough to let him through. They were prepared to let the Shinra through, but no one else. Even so Tifa's dad scowled._

_"There's nothing that'll harm this town, right?" Zangan asked Cloud suddenly._

_"No way!" Cloud said positively, shaking his head. "It's Sephiroth. He would never do that." There was a quiet chortle from Tifa's father as he said that – he didn't believe a word of it._

_Even Zangan didn't look particularly convinced. "…Oh my," he muttered, scratching his head. "You sure do have faith."_

_Cloud looked down at the ground uncomfortably. He did have faith in Sephiroth, and didn't believe that Sephiroth would harm his hometown. Even so, the grilling looks from the other men guarding the gates of the mansion made him uncomfortable. Shinra was never exactly popular, and even though he was from Nibelheim, it didn't change the fact that in their eyes he was another Shinra soldier. "…Why do you ask?" he asked Zangan._

_Now it was Zangan's turn to feel uncomfortable. "The Shinra showed up to eliminate any information that could be an embarrassment to the company…" he explained. He gave Cloud a wink. "You pick these things up when you travel as much as I do."_

_Slowly Cloud nodded. He couldn't really deny that. It was a sort of 'rule of the business world'. The Shinra never really bothered with anything unless it was to do with money or would cause them embarrassment. To save further embarrassing himself Cloud then headed into the mansion to begin his search for Sephiroth._

_The mansion was very quiet – there were no Shinra residents living in Nibelheim at that time, so the mansion was left abandoned. All the curtains were drawn and shutting off the light from the outside, apart from a thin beam of light where the curtains didn't quite meet, and shone onto the old oak floorboards. All in all it was a very eerie old house, and the sense of unease ran all the way through the house._

_A loud creak made Cloud jump and turn towards the old stairs at the far end of the main hall. A flash of movement caught his eye, and Cloud saw a silhouette moving on the top balcony. He ran to the stairs and began to run up, but the moment his heavy boots stepped on the stairs they creaked. Cloud froze for a moment or two, his left foot hovering over the next step. He inhaled deeply and slowly lowered his foot onto the step. It still creaked, but not as loudly as before._

_Quickly but quietly he proceeded to move up the stairs until he reached the upper tier of the mansion. There were two ways he could go – left towards the bedrooms, or right, where the person he had seen went. Cloud cautiously headed towards the right, keeping his senses alert for any more signs of movement._

_As he turned the corner he saw something moving ahead into another room at the end of the short corridor. Cloud reached behind him and gripped onto his large-bladed sword – he wanted to be ready for anything. He then headed towards the room, and peeked around the door. When he pressed his foot down on the ground it creaked suddenly, surprising both him and the figure that was standing in the room beyond. Hurriedly Cloud drew his sword and swished it in front of him, and the figure spun around, pulling out a gun, and aimed it at Cloud. Cloud stared, before he sighed with relief._

_The figure he had seen moving had only been the Shinra soldier who had gone into the mansion before he had. It was him that had been stalking around the mansion, and had scared Cloud half to death. Cloud lowered his sword, almost laughing._

_"Don't do that," he said. He was sweating with anxiety. "I thought you were Sephiroth." In front of him the Shinra soldier also lowered his weapon, and sighed._

_"I'm sorry," he apologised. He put his gun back in its holster and stood upright. He put one gloved hand underneath the visor shielding his face and wiped it. "There's no sign of Sephiroth, but I know I saw him go into this room…"_

_Together they looked around at the room they were in. It was merely a small box room, and there wasn't much else in it apart from a cupboard, a chair, and a few other small things. There was a chimney shaft in the corner of the room, but there were no exits. If Sephiroth had indeed entered this room, there was no way he could have gotten out without anyone noticing._

_The soldier went over to a nearby wall and began to tap it gently, just in case there was a secret passage hidden. Cloud decided to do the same, and so they took a wall each and began to tap it, listening at any moment for a spot that sounded hollow. They moved slowly round and round, completing one wall and then moving onto the next. Yet everywhere they tapped gave back no hollow sound. Everywhere was secure, with no secret doors anywhere._

_Cloud reached the end of his wall and stopped by the chimney shaft. It was half embedded in the wall, joining all the other rooms together. It was built of an old, grey stone, and seemed pretty ordinary. As Cloud looked closer, however, he noticed something odd about the stonework. Some of the stones didn't seem to match the others, and didn't blend in as well. It was something that wouldn't be noticeable to anyone just entering the room, but up close the difference was clear._

_Carefully Cloud tapped on the stones that didn't look like they belonged. Just as he expected, a slight echo came back at him – the shaft was indeed hollow. He pushed against the stones, and they moved slowly backwards. Cloud grinned and grasped onto the edge of the wall, pushing it aside to reveal the hidden area beyond the well-concealed chimney shaft._

_Inside the chimney was a long spiral staircase, heading down deep into the depths of the house. It made Cloud a little dizzy to look down at how deep it went, and it was so dark he could only just see the bottom. He signalled to the Shinra soldier to stay put, before he stepped into the shaft and onto the first step of the staircase._

_The dim lights from the room upstairs gently lit Cloud's path as he headed down slowly into the hidden depths of the building. The Shinra soldier watched him from the top as Cloud descended into the shadows. Once Cloud vanished from view he stepped back into the room, his gun in hand as he prepared to guard the entrance of the shaft._

_Cloud eventually reached the bottom of the long spiral staircase and stepped down onto the rocky ground. He was definitely well underneath the Shinra Mansion now, there was no doubt of that. He was standing in the middle of a long rocky tunnel that ran all the way under the house. He could see the end of the tunnel not too far ahead of him, where it ended with a large door blocking the way forward._

_Cloud could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he walked slowly down the tunnel. The tunnel was deadly quiet and very shadowy, but a single light shining through the edges of the door at the end of the tunnel assured him that there was someone else there, and it was probably Sephiroth. After all, he couldn't think of anyone else who would be down here._

_He passed another closed door on his way down the tunnel, but one look made him realise that it was locked, and hadn't been opened in many years. He moved on and stopped outside door at the end of the tunnel. It was slightly ajar, and he could hear the sound of muttering inside. It was Sephiroth's voice. Nervously Cloud pushed open the door and slid inside._

_The hidden room looked like some kind of mini-laboratory. There was a desk in the middle of the room with a number of old dusty papers and flasks on, and there were two large tubes in the corner. The laboratory was attached to a library, with a corridor lined with books adjoining the two. Sephiroth's voice was coming from there, so Cloud stood in the middle of the laboratory and looked down._

_Sure enough, Sephiroth was standing in the middle of the tunnel, holding one of the many books open in his hands. There were already a number of books lying scattered across the floor that Sephiroth had flung down in his search, although who knew what he was looking for. He didn't even notice Cloud standing nearby, and continued to read the contents of the book aloud to himself._

_"…An organism that was apparently dead, was found in a 2000 year old geological stratum," he read. "Professor Gast named that organism Jenova…" He turned the page over, his eyes focused only the book, and continued to read. "X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova project approved. The use of Mako Reactor 1 approved for use…" He lowered his arm, letting the pages fall over his hand as he looked up at the ceiling. His green eyes seemed sad. "My mother's name is Jenova… Jenova Project… Is this just a coincidence?" He looked down at the ground, towards the books around him. "Professor Gast… Why didn't you tell me anything? Why did you die?" He blinked and turned his head a little, finally noticing Cloud nearby. The sad look in his eyes was still there. "Let me be alone," he said to Cloud, before turning away._

_Cloud stared as Sephiroth walked down towards the main part of the library, going back to his obsessive reading. There was nothing Cloud could do for him, so he turned and headed out of the room, leaving Sephiroth behind in the library._

* * *

"Sephiroth didn't come out of the Shinra Mansion…" Cloud said. He closed his eyes again, remembering. "He continued to read as if he were possessed by something, and not once, did the light in the basement go out…"

* * *

_A few days passed by, and Cloud stared up at the ceiling of his new room. Thanks to the men of Nibelheim growing more concerned over the welfare of their town, not even Cloud and the remaining Shinra soldier had been allowed out of the mansion, just as no one else was allowed in._

_He had been down to the basement a number of times since he had entered the mansion, but each time Sephiroth had barely even noticed he was there. One thing Cloud did notice, however, was that the sense of unease and anxiety that ran through the house grew in intensity as the days went by, and the pile of books that Sephiroth left behind in his search grew ever larger._

_Eventually Cloud sat up on his bed, bored. He decided he'd try to talk to Sephiroth again, although he knew it was probably a waste of time. Sephiroth had been acting very strangely, and even he was beginning to get concerned._

_As he headed over to the room where the secret entrance lay, he found the Shinra soldier still waiting inside, sat on a chair as he continued to guard the room. The soldier looked up as Cloud entered, before he relaxed in his chair._

_"Sephiroth seems different," he commented. He shuffled about with his visor, but didn't take off his helmet. "Hey," he said suddenly, looking up at Cloud. "You don't think that he will… you know…"_

_Cloud shook his head, although he was unsure of who he was trying to convince. The soldier seemed a little at ease though, and relaxed again in his chair. It didn't look like they'd be going anywhere for a while._

_As before Cloud headed down towards the basement and into the library. He expected to see Sephiroth pacing back and forth as usual, with his pile of read books even larger than before. He expected to hear Sephiroth muttering quietly to himself as he read the contents of those books, and saying he wanted to be left alone._

_Yet as he walked into the library he was surprised to find that Sephiroth was not pacing around, and he couldn't hear Sephiroth's voice. Cloud walked fully into the room and looked around. The sound of a laugh made Cloud jump and turn to the corridor. He could see Sephiroth faintly at the desk in the library, but he wasn't reading. He was just sitting there silently, staring blankly into space._

_Cloud began to walk down the corridor towards Sephiroth. The sense of unease and panic suddenly began to rise in him as he walked, and with each step he took the hair on his neck froze, and the blood in his veins seemed to run cold. His heart thumped in his chest as he entered the library office and looked at Sephiroth._

_"Who is it!?" Sephiroth demanded angrily. He looked up at Cloud, and Cloud's heart skipped a beat. There was something seriously wrong – Cloud could feel it in the air around him. Sephiroth's green eyes that were sad before were now angry, and seemed to get even angrier as they connected with Cloud's eyes. A scowl spread on Sephiroth's face. "Hmph… traitor."_

_Cloud blinked in surprise. "Traitor?" he asked._

_Sephiroth slammed his hands furiously onto the desk, directly on top of a pile of old reports that he had been reading over the past few hours. The fear in Cloud began to rise as Sephiroth stood up, pushing the chair back against the wall. Cloud swallowed hard, trying to push down the fear, but it was hard to contain._

_"You ignorant traitor," Sephiroth growled. "I'll tell you." He lifted his head up and glared at Cloud with his furious green eyes, and Cloud could almost see the anger welling inside. "This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra. Cetra was an itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on… At the end of their harsh, hard journey, they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness."_

_Cloud watched in surprise as Sephiroth looked around the room at the many reports that had been scattered across the room, and the many books lying open on the floor around them._

_"But, those that disliked the journey appeared," Sephiroth continued. "Those who stopped their migrations, built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. They took that which the Cetra had made without giving back one whit in return." He stood upright and pointed straight at Cloud. "Those are your ancestors."_

_"Sephiroth…" Cloud whispered, but he stopped there. He didn't know what to say._

_Sephiroth continued to rant. "Long ago, disaster struck this planet. Your ancestors escaped… They survived because they hid. The Planet was saved by sacrificing the Cetra. After that, your ancestors continued to increase. Now all that's left of the Cetra is in these reports."_

_"What does that have to do with you?" Cloud asked, confused._

_"Don't you get it?" Sephiroth asked angrily, and Cloud jumped an inch back towards the wall. His nervousness only increased as Sephiroth began to slowly walk around the desk towards him. "An Ancient named Jenova was found in the geological stratum of 2000 years ago. The Jenova Project. The Jenova Project wanted to produce people with the powers of the Ancients. ……No, the Cetra. …I am the one that was produced."_

_Cloud stared in horror. "Pr…produced!?" he exclaimed. He shook his head fiercely, not wanting to hear any more of Sephiroth's story. It was all too freaky to grasp._

_Sephiroth nodded, a strange grin spreading on his face. "Yes," he confirmed. "Professor Gast, leader of the Jenova Project and genius scientist, produced me."_

_"How… How did he…?" Cloud asked, although he was just as sure he didn't want to hear the answer. It was then that some of Sephiroth's actions began to fit into place. The way Sephiroth had attacked the monster capsules in the reactor – they had been produced as well. The 'Jenova' nameplate above the door in the reactor. How Sephiroth had laughed when Cloud asked about his father. How could he possibly know who his father was, when there was no father?_

_He was broken from his thoughts as Sephiroth suddenly moved past him and towards the door. There was something strange about the way Sephiroth moved – something very ominous and threatening. As he passed by Cloud he could feel another sharp chill run down his spine, and his blood ran cold again._

_"Se… Sephiroth?"_

_Sephiroth paused at the entrance to the corridor. He didn't look back at Cloud, but Cloud could feel the cold chill of Sephiroth's eyes almost glaring at him._

_"Out of my way," he said. "I'm going to see my mother."_

_With that Sephiroth began to move again, heading down the corridor and out of the underground basement. Cloud remained stationary for a moment or two after Sephiroth left, unsure of what to make of the strange story. Sephiroth seemed to have completely changed in the space of a few days, and that thought scared Cloud. He suddenly shook his head and ran out of the basement, heading towards the man part of the house again._

_The Shinra soldier was not there when he emerged from the hidden staircase, although his gun was left lying on the floor. Cloud quickly ran out of that room and headed towards the main hall, when he heard a loud explosion from outside of the mansion. Cloud skidded to a stop, and prayed that what he saw from the dusty windows was not real. He tore down the stairs and towards the doors, pushing them open with all his might._

_Then he stopped as his eyes opened wide._

* * *

**EMERALD:** Again, I apologise for the delay. Also, if I have accidentally repeated any description from previous chapters. I only wrote this chapter today and haven't had a chance to read previous chapters to make sure I didn't repeat anything. 


	30. Part 02: Chapter 30

**Final Fantasy VII **

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty**

_All Cloud could see was flames. There were flames everywhere. Wherever Cloud looked he could see the burning red-orange colour of flames, flickering over every part of the town. Every building, every house, and every structure, even the well in the middle of the town was alive with fire._

_Cloud could feel the heat of the flames, even as he stood in the doorway of the Shinra Mansion. More than that, he was horrified to see his beloved hometown, where all his family and friends were, go up in flames._

_He broke from his horrified trance and ran out of the doorway towards the gate. The gate had been burst open from its hinges, and there was no sign of the men that had been guarding it. When Cloud ran out of the perimeter of the mansion he ran straight through the wall of smoke that was beginning to clog up the town, and Cloud coughed as the dry heat of the smoke burned at his throat._

"_Hey, it's you! You're still sane, right?"_

_Cloud looked over towards the local shop, and to his surprise he saw Zangan standing outside. He was kneeling beside the young boy that lived in the shop with his parents – the same boy that had wanted to take a picture of Sephiroth before they left for the reactor. The boy was badly burned, and from the looks of things it didn't look like he would make it. Even so Cloud ran over, still unable to believe what was happening around him. He looked around and saw that the Shinra soldier was also nearby, lying on the ground seeming to be unconscious from the smoke._

"_I'll check this house," he said, motioning to the shop behind him, which was also on fire. "You check that one over there!"_

_With that the martial arts master turned and braced himself before running into the burning shop. Cloud snapped around and faced the house that Zangan had designated him, and Cloud's eyes opened wide – it was his house. The house was alive with fire. Flames were pouring from the windows and burning through the wooden roof, along with a long trail of thick, black smoke._

_Without a single hesitation Cloud ran through the open door and into his house. The heat of the flames hit him instantly, and Cloud cried out. He called out inside the house, but the flames had burned through the ceiling and caused the long wooden beams that held it up to crumble and fall, blocking his path. Eventually Cloud was forced to withdraw from the house – the heat was too much._

_He emerged from the smoking doorway coughing and spluttering. His eyes were watering heavily and each intake of breath was dry and hoarse. He fell down to his knees until his breathing calmed a little, when he looked up at the rest of Nibelheim._

_The inn was completely enveloped in flames, and there was no sign of Zangan or anyone else alive in the whole town. Judging from the amount of flames pushing out of the windows and chimney, it didn't look like the old couple that lived there would have survived, and Cloud highly doubted that Zangan would survive, either._

"_Terrible…" Cloud said, his voice dry and hoarse as he looked around at the burning devastation. "Sephiroth… This is too terrible…"_

_He turned as the sound of angry shouting hit his ears. He turned back towards the mansion, and gasped as he saw Sephiroth standing there, along with two other men that had previously been guarding the gate. They were shouting at Sephiroth right then, but as Cloud watched Sephiroth suddenly drew his masamune and struck the two men. They were killed instantly by Sephiroth's expert touch, and fell to the floor. Cloud stared in horror, his hand still poised over his mouth._

_Sephiroth then looked up across the flames, and his gaze caught Cloud's. Looking into Sephiroth's eyes right then, Cloud could see that Sephiroth had completely changed. There wasn't a single flicker of the old, silent Sephiroth within him, replaced by something much darker than Cloud had ever seen. Sephiroth stared at him for just a few seconds more, before he turned and walked off through the wall of flames rising behind him, and disappeared._

_Once he was gone Cloud climbed shakily to his feet and staggered over to the Shinra soldier lying near to his home. The soldier was moving slightly – he was still alive, for now. Cloud then looked up over the flames where Sephiroth had disappeared – he knew where Sephiroth was heading._

_The Mt. Nibel Mako Reactor was still intact when Cloud finally reached it, much to his surprise. He had no doubt in his mind that Sephiroth was somewhere inside the building, and Cloud prayed that he was alone. He didn't really know what he was going to do when he finally caught up to Sephiroth. All he knew was that his hometown was up in flames and everyone he knew was gone. He was seething in anger, and all he could think of was finding Sephiroth._

_He burst through the door and stopped as he heard the sound of a familiar voice within the reactor – but it wasn't Sephiroth's voice. It was a girl's voice, and it sounded like she was crying. Cloud stayed still and listened to the voice, until it finally hit him who it was._

_He looked over the top of the pipe and saw her there, sobbing on the ground. It was Tifa. She was kneeling beside her father, who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Sephiroth's long sword was lying on the ground next to them, stained with her father's blood._

_Cloud headed slowly down the pipes towards where Tifa kneeling, but he didn't get too close to her. He stopped on the bridge and looked at her tearful face, which was red and streaked. As he watched she wiped her hair out of her face, and gently touched her father's head._

"_Papa…" she whispered, her voice choking. "Sephiroth!? Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he!? Sephiroth… SOLDIER… Mako Reactors… Shinra… Everything!" She sat up and shouted at the sky. "I hate them all!"_

_Once she had calmed her rage, she looked down at the ground again. Her gaze fell on the long and thin silver sword that was lying on the ground beside her dead father. Slowly she reached out and took hold of the handle. Her expression changed to a fearless determinism, and she got up and ran through the door. Cloud followed her, hoping he would get to her on time._

_Sephiroth was already in the capsule chamber when Tifa entered. He stood in front of the Jenova door, his arms spread wide. There was a strange, happy grin on his face as he stood in front of the door, like a lost boy returning home._

"_Mother, I'm here to see you," he said, speaking up to the door where his mother's nameplate was positioned. "Please open this door."_

_A loud thud made Sephiroth lower his arms and turn towards the entrance to the chamber. Tifa charged into the room and began to bolt up the stairs towards him, his own sword positioned ready in her hands. The sword seemed bulky and awkward in her hands, but that didn't stop her from running up to him._

"_How could you do that to Papa and all the townspeople?" she demanded angrily._

_She ran to the very top step where Sephiroth stood and swung the sword down, her rage out of control as she tried to strike off Sephiroth's head. As she brought the sword down Sephiroth reached out and grabbed hold of her arms, stopping her from swinging the sword any further. He gripped harshly at her wrist as he pushed her, and Tifa struggled hard to keep the sword in her hands. Eventually the pain around her wrists was unbearable and she had no choice but to release the sword. Sephiroth grabbed the sword instantly and let go of her. Tifa staggered and looked up, her eyes opening wide as she saw the flash of the blade coming down towards her._

_She never even had a chance to cry out as the blade hit her hard. As the blade cut down she fell back away from the platform, almost flying through the air towards the stairs. Through her half-closed eyes she could see the trail of blood in the air that was seeping from her neck and shoulder where Sephiroth had cut her._

_She landed with a thud on the stairs, her head banging on the edge and stunning her so she could no longer feel the pain of the wound. She seemed to bounce of the step and flew once more, before she landed again just as heavily and slid quickly towards the bottom platform. She laid there, her eyes blurred and heavy, gasping quietly under her breath as she felt the cold trail of blood run down her arm._

_Cloud ran in just in time to see Tifa land on the final steps, and stared as she lay motionless. His jaw fell open – he could not believe what was happening. Outside the door Sephiroth lowered his sword, now stained with Tifa's blood, and looked back at Cloud with a smug expression._

_The sword struck her hard, and Sephiroth let go of her. Tifa closed her eyes and fell back away from the platform, almost flying through the air with a trail of blood seeping from her neck and shoulder where Sephiroth had struck her. She landed on the stairs and almost seemed to bounce right off, before she landed again. She then slid down the stairs towards the bottom where she stopped, just as Cloud ran in. He gasped as he saw her lying there, with Sephiroth at the top with a smug expression. He then turned away, and the door to the inner chambers opened. Sephiroth walked through, leaving Cloud behind._

_Once he was gone, Cloud slowly walked up the few steps to where Tifa's body lay. He winced as he saw the slashed wound on her body, and the blood that was still seeping slowly out of it. Her chest heaved up and down – she was still alive, but it didn't look like she would make it either._

_Slowly Cloud sank to his knees and brushed her hair away from her face. At his touch Tifa slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him, and a faint smile appeared on her face._

"…_You promised…" she whispered, her voice quiet. She took a deep breath, straining for each breath. "You promised that you'd come…… when I was in trouble…"_

_She slowly lifted one small, trembling hand, and Cloud took it in his own. She was still warm to the touch, and the trembling eased as he held her. She coughed slightly and closed her eyes again. Cloud released her hand and gently slipped his hand under her head, pulling her up slowly. With his other hand under her legs he scooped her up in his arms and carried her away from the stairs. He put her down again beside one of the capsules, positioning her in a way that would slow the bleeding a little. By then Tifa was unconscious, and could feel nothing. Then, when she was safe, Cloud ran up the stairs and into the inner chambers._

_At that moment Sephiroth was inside the chamber, his arms spread wide in front of a strange structure built into the Mako Reactor. He was standing on a large pipe that rose all the way up to the structure and penetrated it, filling rapidly with a red substance sucked up from the earth._

_The structure he was standing in front of was human in shape, but made of a strong metal. Pipes shaped like wings emerged from its side, and more pipes surrounded it. There was an almost loving look in Sephiroth's eyes as he stood there, his sword in one hand, praising the metal figure._

"_Mother," he said, a loving tone in his voice as he addressed it. "Let's take this planet back together. I've thought of a great idea. Let's go to the Promised Land."_

_He received no reply from the statue, but the loving look in his glowing green eyes just increased. as though he didn't need an answer. It was then that Cloud ran into the chamber, a look of pure fury in his blue eyes as he glared up at Sephiroth._

"_Sephiroth… My family! My hometown! How could you do this to them!?" he yelled._

_A small scowl appeared on Sephiroth's face, and the loving look in his eyes disappeared and became blank. He slowly lowered his arms and looked down at the ground. Cloud panted heavily, his heart beating loudly in his ears, the fierce rush of adrenalin powering his anger. A moment's silence spread between him and Sephiroth, until he heard a small chuckle come from Sephiroth, and he growled._

"_Ha, ha, ha……" chuckled Sephiroth, not looking up from the floor. "They've come again, mother." He raised his gaze up towards the metal statue, and the look of love and compassion returned to his eyes again. "With her superior power, knowledge, and magic, Mother was destined to become the ruler of this Planet."_

_He slowly stepped forward onto the top of the pipe, and his arms slowly began to reach out for the statue. A strange and almost manic grin spread on his face as he reached up to the statue's face._

"_But they…" he said, his voice ominous and full of hatred. "Those worthless creatures… are stealing the Planet from Mother." He drew closer to the statue, his face almost level with its own 'face'. "But now I'm here with you," he said to it. "So don't worry."_

_He suddenly grabbed onto the edges of the metal statue and pulled harshly. His own superior strength caused the metal casing to jerk, and the pipes strained and broke away from the statue. Another final tug from Sephiroth brought the casing away completely and Sephiroth held it up in his arms. The energy that was being pumped into the statue began to pour from the pipes and from its mouth like blood, the statue giving its last breath before Sephiroth threw it callously down towards the ground, where it clattered and rolled to a stop near to where Cloud stood. It wasn't the statue he was interested in._

_Cold steam poured from the pipes, but soon began to clear. Sephiroth looked up and peered through the steam, a smile spreading on his face as he saw what he wanted to see._

_The steam cleared to reveal a glass panel, sealing off the interior. Inside the panel was a woman, seeming to be only kept alive because of the pipes attached to her body. She had dark blue skin, but one of her eyes was replaced by a mechanical red light. Attached to her head was a large metal helmet, with a copper nameplate nailed onto it. Written on that nameplate was the name 'JENOVA' written on it._

_On the ground, Cloud drew his sword and held it firmly in his hands. "What about MY sadness!?" he demanded fiercely. "My family… friends…" He closed his eyes, remembering Tifa lying almost dead in the reactor. "The sadness of having my hometown taken away from me!? It's the same as your sadness!"_

"_Ha, ha, ha… my sadness?" asked Sephiroth. He turned to Cloud and raised his arms high. "What do I have to be sad about? I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to be the leader of this Planet." He made a single, fleeting glance back to the encased body of Jenova and smiled, before he looked back at Cloud and clasped his sword in both hands. "I have orders to take this planet back from you stupid people for the Cetra. What am I supposed to be sad about?_

_Cloud lowered his head and looked down at the ground. Tears were stinging in the back of his eyes. His hometown, his friends, and his mother… everyone and everything he knew was gone. He had left Nibelheim to be as strong as Sephiroth. Now all the respect that he had had for Sephiroth was gone, as were his dreams of being like him. Now all he could feel for Sephiroth was anger. A blazing, furious anger that surged through his veins and made him burn inside. He wanted to take revenge for what Sephiroth had done to his town, and that was the only thing on his mind._

"_Sephiroth… I trusted you…" he mumbled quietly. He looked up at Sephiroth and raised his sword, ready for battle. "No, you're not the Sephiroth I used to know!"_

_He continued to glare up at Sephiroth, the ferocious anger burning in his eyes, his body tensed and ready for battle, even if it meant death. Sephiroth did nothing but look back at him, his masamune sword clasped in his hands. Now it was a stalemate between them, waiting to see who would make the first strike, and who would die in trying. Cloud flexed his grip, and prepared to swing his sword._

* * *

"……And that's the end of my story," Cloud said suddenly, ending the story. All around him the others jumped in surprise at the sudden end to the long story. They looked around at each other, confused. 

"Wait a damn minute!" Barret snapped furiously, jumping up from where he was sat. "Ain't there more?"

Cloud shook his head. "……I don't remember."

"What happened to Sephiroth?" asked Aeris.

"In terms of skill, I couldn't have killed him," replied Cloud.

Tifa looked up from the bed. "Official records state Sephiroth is dead," she said. "I read it in the newspaper."

"Shinra, Inc. owns the paper," Aeris pointed out. "So you can't rely on that information."

"……I want to know the truth," said Cloud, thinking hard as he tried to fill in the gaps in his memory. "I want to know what happened then. I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't he kill me?"

Tifa raised her hand. "……I'm alive, too," she added.

Cloud looked up at her and nodded, but he looked a little concerned. He couldn't remember anything after the moment when he and Sephiroth were about to fight. He had thought Tifa would have died after a wound like that, but she was also here by his side.

"Seems like a lot of this doesn't make sense," said Aeris. She stood up and went to the window, scratching her head thoughtfully. "What about Jenova?" she asked, looking out of the window at the townspeople. "It was in the Shinra building, right?"

"Shinra shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar," Cloud informed her.

"Did someone else carry it out after that?" she asked further. "It was missing from the Shinra building."

"Sephiroth……?" Tifa suggested.

"Damn! Don't none of this make sense!" Barret shouted suddenly. He rubbed his scalp madly with his hands until it was sore, for he was completely confused and wanted some relief. "I'm going, going, going, gone! And I'm leavin' the thinkin' to you!" He turned around and plodded over to the top of the stairs. "Yo, Cloud! Let's get a move on!"

"Right," agreed Cloud, nodding.

"Yo, c'mon let's go!" Barret said. Then he turned and thudded down the stairs, deliberately slamming his boots against the wood to make some noise and relieve his frustration. When he was gone Cloud put a hand to his head and shook it pitifully.

"Oh, brother……"

"……Cloud……?" Cloud looked up as Tifa walked over to him. She stood in front of him almost sheepishly, her hands clasped loosely behind her back, and shuffling the floor with her feet nervously. "How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me?" she asked him.

Cloud blinked, and the image of Tifa lying on the stairs covered in blood returned to his mind. He cringed. He didn't want to remember that image. "I thought you were a goner," he admitted. He looked down at the ground. "……I was really sad."

Tifa looked down at the ground as well, her face red. "……" was all she could muster.

Aeris was still by the window, looking out at the townspeople. Cloud's story had made her think about an awful lot of things. Up until that point she had always believed that she was the last surviving member of the Cetra. Now she knew that she wasn't – if Sephiroth was indeed still alive. She didn't know much about the Cetra other than what she had already told everyone.

She closed her eyes for a moment and quietened her mind. Since they had left the busy, mechanical streets of Midgar, she had begun to sense and hear a lot more of what the Planet was saying – things she had never been able to sense whilst in the slums of Midgar. It was still very weak, but she knew one thing: the Planet was in chaos.

"I… The Ancients…… Cetra…… Jenova…… Sephiroth and myself……" she whispered.

"Let's go," Tifa announced suddenly. "Barret's waiting."

She and Cloud headed for the stairs and went down to the ground floor. Aeris remained behind for a moment longer, watching the innocent people of Kalm continue with their daily lives, probably unaware of the tragedies that occurred in Midgar. She then turned and followed them down, leaving Red XIII alone in the bedroom. He waited until everyone had gone, where he swished his tail on the floor.

"What a fascinating story," he commented. He then crawled slowly to his feet and headed down after the others.

Barret was waiting for them all when they finally came down from the inn's bedroom. He seemed to have calmed down a little now, although the innkeeper and his assistant both looked a little pale and shell-shocked. They didn't want to even imagine what Barret must have said to them to scare them so much. He was holding a small item in his large hands, and when he looked up and saw Cloud and Tifa head down, followed by Aeris, he stopped tapping his foot and headed over to them.

"Yo, Cloud. Here," he said, and chucked the small item over to Cloud.

Cloud caught the item and looked down at it. He had seen an item like this before. It was a PHS, or Personal Homing System. They were often used in the Shinra for troops to keep in touch with one another, but were only in best use over short distances. It would be very useful for them travelling across the plains.

"PHS will put us in constant contact with each other," Barret explained, completely disregarding the look of recognition in Cloud's face. "Awright then, we're outta here."

He then ran out of the doorway, with Red XIII close behind him, before Cloud could protest. They hadn't even decided on their next destination yet. So he just sighed and walked out of the inn with Aeris and Tifa, and back into the town of Kalm. There were a few more people around now, for the sun was higher in the sky and most of the shops had now opened up.

There was no sign of Barret or Red XIII in the town – they had already left for the Midgar Plains that surrounded the town of Kalm. He wasn't worried about them, though, for they were perfectly capable of handling the monsters that roamed the fields by themselves.

"Listen to me!" came a man's voice. Tifa and Cloud both looked up and saw him nearby with a group of people, speaking very loudly and attracting a lot of interest. "Just now, some guy in a black cloak walked east towards that grassy field. And he's got this killer sword, and is looking REAL scary……"

Cloud and Tifa both stopped in surprise and stared at one another, wondering if what they were hearing was really true. A guy in a black cloak with a killer sword…

"Cloud," said Tifa looking up at Cloud nervously. "Could it be Sephiroth? I mean, could he really still be alive? Really? He isn't dead?"

"You remember what Palmer said, right?" Cloud told her. "Sephiroth was in the Shinra building. He killed the President." He looked out towards the entrance of the town. "So it looks like he's heading away from Midgar." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot thoughtfully against the floor.

"Hey, maybe we should get going," Aeris interrupted suddenly, walking between Cloud and Tifa. "We don't want to fall too far behind Barret and Red XIII. Cloud, maybe you should call them and tell them which way to head."

Cloud looked at her. She sounded a little anxious, but Cloud couldn't make out why. Eventually he nodded and pulled out the PHS.

* * *

End of Part Two 

Part Three: Chocobos, Parades… And A Ninja


	31. Part 03: Chapter 31

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**

_Another chapter, another chapter… glad to be back in the swing of things. That's probably because we're getting close to the introduction of my second-face character in this game (after Cloud). Just wanted to let you all know that I'm modifying the 'How-To-Catch-A-Chocobo' section. A lot of originality in this chapter. That's all._

* * *

**Final Fantasy VII **

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Three: Chocobos, Parades… And A Ninja**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

It was a fairly long journey across the Midgar Plains towards the eastern part of the continent. Cloud and his team headed east across the plains. On their way they had to pass through a large valley that ran between two sets of mountains. They mountains to their right were the mountains that divided the whole of the continent, separating Midgar and Kalm from the other towns that lay hidden on the other side.

As they reached the mountains, the three stopped and turned to look behind them. In the far distance they could see Midgar – a solitary dark soul in the middle of the vast, dying land. It looked so alone where it stood, and they could only imagine the panic that would be sweeping through the citizens of the city now. The Shinra would probably be doing all they could to try and cover up the incidents of the tower, but who knew where the new Shinra President would be. He had flown off after his battle with Cloud, and Cloud got the feeling Rufus wouldn't be there for his father's funeral.

Aeris stepped forward and waved gently at the city. This was probably the last time she would see Midgar for a while, or her mother. She hoped that Elmyra had managed to get away from Midgar and was safe. As she stood there she got the feeling that Barret had also stood here and looked at Midgar, praying that little Marlene was also safe. When she was done looking she turned back to Cloud and Tifa, and they headed off once again, saying goodbye to Midgar one final time.

Unfortunately their journey was not as easy as their journey to Kalm had been. A few monsters blocked their path as they went through the mountains, but they were easily dealt with. With each monster that went down, none of them could help but think of the capsules Cloud had told them about, wondering just how many monsters in the world the Shinra had actually produced.

They soon emerged from the valley and into the open plains in the eastern part of the continent known as the Choco Plains. They were called the 'Choco Plains' because they were reputed as being the number one breeding land for Chocobos. Of course Chocobos bred all over the world, but there were very few plains where the Chocobos were free to breed without much threat from hungry monsters.

As they entered the plains, they were surprised to see very few Chocobos running around like they had expected. The Chocobos they could see were few and far between, and certainly seemed to be keeping their distance from Cloud and the others. It was almost as though they were scared. Which was strange, because Chocobos were usually very friendly.

They continued on their way across the Choco Plains, eventually beginning to head south towards the mountains, for there were no other towns in that part of the continent except for a farm that was not too far away from where they were.

As they headed south they saw the mountains gradually drawing closer to them, and saw that the land surrounding the base of the mountains was different from the grassy plains they were standing in. The short blades of grass turned into a thick marsh covered in large stalks of dying weeds, shielding what lay hidden beneath them. One thing was for sure: it wasn't a very hospitable looking place.

Barret and Red XIII were already waiting for them there, standing at the entrance of the marsh and trying to see through the long weeds. The weeds were so tall they nearly towered over Barret, and were so thick that they couldn't see more than a few feet into the marsh.

"Yo, Cloud!" Barret called, turning as he heard Cloud and the others approaching. He nodded his head towards the marsh. "Looks we ain't goin' this way through. Don't look like nothin' could get through there."

Cloud, Aeris and Tifa came to a stop at the edge of the marsh beside Barret and Red XIII, and looked out at the marsh. Looking down they could see the ground becoming swampy around where the weeds grew, thick and choking.

"You don't suppose Sephiroth went through this marsh, did he?" asked Aeris. She sniffed deeply and a terrible stench from the marsh hit her nose. She curled her lip in disgust. The smell was terrible – it smelt of mud and dirt and who knew what else.

"Maybe," Cloud said, tapping his foot against the grass. "This is the only way I know that leads to the other side of the mountain. We'll have to cross…"

"At any rate, I don't believe it would be a good idea to cross the marsh on foot," said Red XIII. He climbed to his feet again and walked past Cloud and Tifa, looking out towards the farm that stood a little way away. "Perhaps we should go there and see if there is any other way to cross the marsh."

The others all nodded in agreement, before they turned and headed off towards the farm. They walked away from the marshes in the direction of the farm, but Cloud remained at the edge of the marshes a few moments more, looking across the large plain of dying weeds towards the foot of the mountain.

Cloud frowned. He knew Sephiroth had passed through those marshes – he could almost feel it. He could feel Sephiroth's presence in the air hanging around him, along with the deep hatred that he bore inside. He quickly turned away from the marsh and began to run after the others. And as he ran off, a loud and agonising cry of pain and anguish echoed from deep within the marshes, but Cloud didn't hear it.

* * *

**Chocobo Farm**

The farm that they had spotted was actually a Chocobo Farm, owned by an old man and his grandson. The farm was built specifically to tame and hire out Chocobos for travellers wanting to cross the marshes or travel towards Midgar. The land that the farm was built on had once been a battleground a number of years ago during the last war. The consequences of that battle had led to the ground around the farm becoming lush, and Chocobos began to breed there. Thus the farm was founded, and Chocobos flourished.

There were a number of Chocobos already gathered within the farm, with about four or five of them standing in the large pen in the middle of the farm, enjoying the sunshine. They looked up as Cloud and his friends entered the farm, intrigued by their presence.

"Wark!" one of the Chocobos squawked at Cloud as he walked past the pen. Cloud stopped and looked up. The Chocobo walked over and stuck its head over the bar, leaning over as close to Cloud as it could reach. It flicked its yellow head back. "Wark? Warkwark? Wark?"

Cloud blinked. He was completely baffled by the Chocobo's sudden interest in him, but he wasn't sure what the Chocobo was asking of him. The Chocobo wouldn't give up though. It stamped its feet against the sandy floor of its pen and flicked its head back and forth, demanding an answer. Cloud scratched his head. "…Wark," he said.

That answer seemed to be enough for the Chocobo. "Wark-----" it said.

All at once all of the Chocobos in the enclosure fell silent, and Cloud and the others stared. Then, all at once, the Chocobos suddenly began to dance. Each and every Chocobo standing in the pen suddenly began to do the exact same things – bobbing their heads, fluttering their wings, jumping off the ground and landing daintily back on the ground again. It was a peculiar sight to see – Chocobos dancing in unison.

By the time the dance was over, the Chocobos all returned to their usual state, carrying on with what they were doing before as though nothing had happened. Only the first Chocobo close to Cloud remained where it was. It squawked at Cloud happily, before it suddenly dipped its head low behind the wooden bars and began to dig at the dirt with its claws. It dug up a small hole in the ground, and then stuck its head in the hole. It came back up a few seconds later, with something red and shiny in its beak. It flicked the object carefully through the bars of its pen, and Cloud caught it and looked down at it.

It was a piece of Materia – a very rare piece of Materia. Cloud lifted it up and looked inside the red sphere. Through its semi-translucent surface he could see the faint image of a Chocobo inside of it, along with a small figure on its back. He knew just what kind of Materia this was. The materia must have been buried under the earth after the war, and the Chocobos must have dug it back up.

"Summon Materia," Cloud said to the others. He lifted up the blade of his sword where more materia slots were, and quickly slotted it in. Summon materia could be very useful – when used correctly.

They soon left the marshes behind them and headed up to the main farmhouse. The door had been left wide open, and they could hear the sound of muttering inside. Slowly Cloud walked through the open door, leaving the others outside to wait (Aeris was already busy petting one of the other Chocobos in the pen).

Once inside, Cloud could see the source of the muttering. It was coming from an old man – Choco Bill, the owner of the farm – who was standing in the kitchen beside the sink, talking quietly to himself. He didn't notice Cloud at first, and carried on talking to himself about Chocobos. Cloud coughed loudly to get his attention. The old man looked up and took off his hat, squinting through his eyes to see Cloud. He wasn't old, in age, but years of weathering from his farming had aged his skin.

"Thinking of crossing the marshes?" he asked with a country accent.

Cloud blinked. He wasn't wasting any time in getting to the point. "Yeah," he replied.

"Hmm," Old Choco Bill said, nodding his head. He put his hat down on the table. "Then it'll probably be safer for you to get a Chocobo," he told him. He walked over to the kitchen window, which overlooked the marshes by the mountain, and looked out at them. "Then, you can zip through the marshes with the Chocobo. It's the only way to avoid being attacked by the Midgar Zolom."

"Midgar Zolom…?" asked Cloud, confused.

Choco Bill nodded again and turned away from the window. "It's a serpent-like creature 30 feet tall!!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms to emphasise the size of the creature. "It picks up on footsteps that enter the marshes… And then, BAM!! It attacks!!!" He slammed his hand on the table, making Cloud jump. He then picked up his hat and placed it on his head again with a certain flicker of pride, and then began to speak like a salesman. "To avoid that, buy a Chocobo at the Choco Bill & Choco Billy Chocobo Farm. To purchase a Chocobo, please talk to my grandson. He's in the Chocobo stables at the far right end of the farm."

Cloud nodded and turned back towards the door.

"By the way," Choco Bill added suddenly. Cloud stopped and looked back at him. "There was another person heading towards the Marshes. Without a Chocobo, the Midgar Zolom probably got him." He crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully. "It was a man in a Black Cape."

That caught Cloud's attention. He stared at Choco Bill. At least that confirmed his suspicions – Sephiroth HAD crossed the marshes and was heading to the other side of the continent. He also got the feeling that Sephiroth was not going to have any trouble handling the Midgar Zolom, however big it was.

He went outside, and he and Barret headed to the stables, leaving Aeris with her herd of Chocobos that had come to her to be petted. Sure enough as Cloud entered he spotted the grandson, Choco Billy, tending to an empty stable near the back of the barn. He was only young, about twelve or maybe thirteen years old. The boy looked up as he heard the creak of the barn door and eyed Cloud and Barret over with a quick, fleeting glance.

"Do you want a Chocobo?" he asked, speaking with a strong country accent like his grandfather. He looked at Cloud very curiously, as though he had never seen a man with a sword or a man with a gun-arm before in the country.

"Hmm……" Cloud muttered, also looking the boy over. "Give me one."

Choco Billy turned away and picked up a bucket of a peculiar vegetable. He walked over to another stable, carrying the bucket with him. "You old folks are out of luck!"

Cloud tilted his head. "Old folks…?" he scratched his head, confused. He could understand Choco Billy looking at Barret and calling him an 'old folk', but he was only twenty-one… How did that classify him as an 'old folk'?

"We're all out of Chocobos," Choco Billy continued, ignoring Cloud's puzzled face and Barret's angry, staring glance and shaking fists. "I'm taking care of those ones out there for someone else." He put down the pale by another stable and began to scoop out the wheat into a pail beside it. He then stopped and turned to Cloud and Barret. "You know, if you really want a Chocobo, you should go out and catch on. Want to know how to catch a Chocobo?"

Cloud and Barret both glanced at each other with a look that clearly said they weren't particularly interested in being lectured by a kid. But then, neither of them really knew a thing about Chocobos. "How do I catch one?" Cloud asked eventually, swallowing his pride for a moment.

Choco Billy grinned and climbed up onto the top of the stable bars, and leaned against the pole. "There are loads of wild Chocobos in this area," he explained, grabbing a length of straw from the edge of the stable and chewing it. "However they're mighty timid and a pain to catch when they're not tame. If you get a wild one angry, run like hell before you get a chunk taken outta ya."

He then suddenly jumped down from the bar and pulled out one of the peculiar green vegetables in the bucket he'd been carrying, and threw it over to Cloud. "That there is a Gysahl Green," he said. "Greens are Chocobos favourite food. If you want to catch a Chocobo, you gotta keep it from running by feeding it Greens. That should stall it long enough for you to catch it. Once you're on a Chocobo it's pretty easy to get it under your control – just keep on it until it learns that you're in control. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. Oh, and one more thing," he added. "Once you get off a Chocobo, it'll run off back to its home. So, you gonna try? We have a variety of Greens, but Gysahl Greens are the cheapest at 20 Gil."

Cloud bought a couple of Gysahl Greens, and he and Barret headed back out to the others. After explaining what they needed to do to catch a Chocobo to the others, they left the farm and went back out to the plains.

Whatever had scared the Chocobos before had obviously left now, for there were a few more Chocobos roaming around the perimeter of the farm. They were, of course, wary of Cloud and his group as they approached, and very slowly and cautiously backed off away from them.

"How many are we going to have to catch?" asked Tifa, as they stood on the edge of the Chocobo field, looking back at the wary Chocobos.

Cloud tapped his foot against the ground and folded his arms. "I think, to get us all five of us across the marsh, we're going to need at least three Chocobos." He looked at the Greens he held in his hands. "I hope we have enough of this stuff."

"Three will not be necessary," Red XIII said suddenly. Cloud turned. "I am able to run through the marsh without any trouble I will be able to outrun any serpent."

Cloud nodded, and turned back to the Chocobos. "Well, I guess those two will do," he said, pointing to a pair of sturdy-looking Chocobos standing nearby, pecking at the ground. "We'll have to give them the Greens first, and then Tifa and I will try and mount them while they're distracted."

"And what the hell should we do?" Barret demanded.

"Barret, you, Red XIII and Aeris can help herd the Chocobos and prevent them from running if we can't get them," Cloud said. "Just be careful not to get attacked." He turned to Tifa. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," replied Tifa.

The group then parted ways and spread out around the two Chocobos that they were targeting. Barret, Aeris and Red XIII spread out in a wide circle around the two Chocobos, while Cloud and Tifa advanced slowly towards the Chocobos, each of them with a Gysahl Green in their hand.

One of the Chocobos looked up as they approached, and stared directly at Cloud and Tifa through its large eyes. It made a squawking sound and the two stopped in their tracks, freezing until the Chocobo was more relaxed at their presence. The calmer the Chocobos were, the easier it would be to capture them. After a moment or two the Chocobo fluttered its wings and lowered its head again. Only then did Cloud and Tifa begin to advance again.

The second Chocobo then suddenly lifted its head and stared at them, and Cloud froze again. Only Tifa continued to advance, taking small, delicate steps towards the bird. The Chocobo tilted its head at her but did not seem to be panicked by her presence, so she kept on advancing, until she was within reach of the creature.

Very carefully she extended her arm, holding out the Gysahl Greens with it to the Chocobo. The creature looked at the greens and squawked for a second, before it slowly leaned its head forward and took a step up to them, sniffing the greens carefully. It took another careful step towards her and put its head in her hands, taking the greens from her and beginning to eat them. Tifa then stepped right up to the Chocobo and gently placed her hand on the soft feathers on its head, riding her hand down its neck towards its wings.

Her actions drew the attention of the first Chocobo by then, and was looking at Tifa with its companion with interest. It watched Tifa as she continued to gently stroke the side of the Chocobo's head. The Chocobo suddenly dipped its head down to the ground and bent its legs, allowing Tifa to climb up onto its back. She did so, and once she was secure on the Chocobo's soft, feathered back it stood up again, carrying Tifa with it.

Cloud stared as Tifa gently dug her heels into the Chocobo's side, and the Chocobo began to walk at her command. The Chocobo was indeed very tame, much tamer than he had expected. He slowly began to approach the second Chocobo, hoping that its capture would be just as easy as the first one.

Unfortunately it was not going to be as easy as that. As Cloud approached the Chocobo suddenly lifted its head and squawked very loudly, making Cloud take a step back away from it. The Chocobo made the feathers around its face, wings and back expand and flutter out, showing its discomfort of Cloud being so near.

"Cloud," said Tifa from the back of the first Chocobo. "It doesn't like your sword. It feels threatened. Put it down."

Cloud did as he was told and placed his sword down on the grass, and then took a step away from it. That seemed to ease the Chocobo's discomfort and it began to settle again, although its feathers remained slightly fluffed up, completely aware of Cloud's presence now.

"Hurry up, Cloud!" Aeris called out to him with a playful tone to her voice. "We're waiting for you!"

He ignored Aeris as he began to approach the Chocobo again, slightly nervous because it was much more wary now. He held out the greens he held in his hand as he approached it, hoping that would distract it long enough for him to get to close.

The greens seemed to attract the Chocobo's interest. It blinked and slowly stepped forward to him, sniffing the greens with care whilst keeping a constant eye on him. With a sudden snap it lurched forward and snatched the greens from Cloud's hand, pulling away again and beginning to eat the greens hungrily.

"Now's yer chance, Cloud!" Barret said to him. "Get it!"

Cloud quickly dashed forward and made a leap for the Chocobo while it was distracted. He took a firm hold of the Chocobo's strong back and jumped up, throwing one leg over one side of the bird and climbing up on top.

The Chocobo reacted instantly; lurching upright and screeching so loud it nearly burst Cloud's eardrums. He wrapped his arms firmly around the Chocobo's neck and held on as the Chocobo began to run and bound around madly, trying hard to throw the ex-SOLDIER off. Cloud held on as tight as he could, also wrapping his legs underneath its body to secure him, making sure that whichever way the bird twisted and turned, he would not fall off.

Tifa sat on top of her Chocobo, rolling her eyes at the performance going on in front of her. The Chocobo ran round and round, but wherever it turned its path was blocked by Barret, Aeris and Red XIII, who continued to run around and prevent the bird from escaping.

With one final, ferocious lurch the bird dipped its head forward and Cloud finally lost his grip, tumbling over the bird and onto the grass in front of it. The bird began to pound the floor with its feet around him, its wings flapping madly. Tifa dug her heels into the Chocobo she was riding again and headed on towards the spectacle. As amusing as it was seeing Cloud fall off a Chocobo, they didn't have time to waste.

She led her Chocobo into the circle and whistled to the other one. The sound of her whistle made the Chocobo snap its head round and flutter its wings again, making a peculiar hissing sound from its beak. Tifa took another Gysahl Green she had been holding and held it out. She made a soothing, cooing sound in her throat as she walked slowly towards it.

The sound of her gentle cooing made the Chocobo relax, and its feathers gradually softened until they were flattened again. Tifa threw the greens to it, and the Chocobo ducked its head down and began to peck at them. She then nodded to Aeris, who walked over and mounted the Chocobo with ease. The Chocobo then stood up and cooed at Aeris, who stroked its neck softly.

Still on the ground, Cloud stared in surprise at the ease in which Aeris had climbed up onto the Chocobo. The Chocobo was much calmer now with Aeris in control, and was much tamer. He accepted the hand that Barret offered him and pulled him up to his feet, both of them in shock.

"Must be a woman thing," Barret surmised, and Cloud nodded.

Like Tifa, Aeris gently dug her boot heels into the Chocobo's waist, making it move slowly until it stood alongside Cloud. With a gentle tap on the bird's head the bird knelt down, and Cloud cautiously climbed on. The bird gave no reaction to him now and stood up the moment he was on, the extra weight meaning nothing to it.

"How do you know how to ride a Chocobo?" he asked her curiously.

"You have to be careful with creatures like these," Aeris replied with a smirk. "They demand care and attention, not someone who will be forceful." She gave Cloud a playful wink. "I would have thought someone in SOLDIER would know how to mount a Chocobo."

Cloud frowned, and his face burned slightly. Aeris just laughed and moved the Chocobo aside, allowing Tifa to move her Chocobo in for Barret to climb on to.

Once they were ready, they headed back towards the marshes close to the foot of the mountains, and stopped beside them. The marshes were deadly silent and eerie, and now, mounted on the Chocobos, they could see clearly over the top of the grass. It was a field of grey, seeming to sway and flutter like sand blowing and swirling in the breeze. There was another scent in the air now, they noticed, and it made Red XIII wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"It smells of blood," he said, growling deep in his throat.

"Red XIII, are you sure you're all right running through here?" Aeris asked, concerned. "I don't like the look of this marsh."

"Do not worry about me," Red XIII assured her. "The smell might be repulsive, but I am a fast runner. You run ahead, and I will follow you through."

"Okay," said Cloud. "Let's go."


	32. Part 03: Chapter 32

**Final Fantasy VII **

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

An eerie, sombre silence spread through the group as they stood at the foot of the mountain that would lead them to the other side. Their eyes were open wide, their pupils dilated, as they looked on in horror at the sight that lay before them. As they had travelled silently through the marshes they had wondered why it had been so quiet, so easy, until they emerged from the thick clump of reeds and seen it. It had been so easy… because there was no threat anymore.

Before them lay the Midgar Zolom, the dreaded serpent that lived in the marshes. It was as Choco Bill had said – a serpent about fifteen-foot high. The Zolom was upright, to a point, with its heart pierced on the top of a large, ten-foot stick embedded in the earth. Its head hung limp behind it, its mouth wide open to reveal its awful teeth, a pool of blood around it. More blood trickled down its body where the stick had pierced it, and also ran down the stick towards the ground. Now they could understand why the Chocobos in the Choco Plains were so timid – they had sensed death approaching.

Cloud climbed off the Chocobo's back, and walked slowly towards the Midgar Zolom. The Chocobo was incredibly anxious and twitchy at being so close to the Zolom, even if it was dead. As Cloud neared the stick he pulled off one of his gloves and softly touched the blood that was still riding down the stick, although it was slowing down now. The blood was still warm on his fingers.

"Did Sephiroth… do this…?" he asked aloud, looking up once again at the terrifying corpse of the snake.

"Amazing…" Tifa gasped in awe. She had never seen anything like it – a beast as large and as feared as the Midgar Zolom had been taken down by just one person. Then… Sephiroth was not an ordinary person.

"Our enemy is someone that could do this…?" Aeris asked, her face pale.

"That Sephiroth guy's pretty strong, I'd say," said Barret.

A sudden wave of nausea hit her and she quickly slid off the Chocobo's back. She ran a few feet away and fell to her knees, pressing her face close to the earth against the beautiful, living stalks of grass. She inhaled deeply, inhaling the energising scent of something alive and away from the sickening stench of blood. She opened her eyes as she felt something nuzzling against her, and she looked up to see Red XIII's face close to hers. He looked at Aeris through his soft, gentle eyes. The look of those eyes made a small smile appear on Aeris's face. She put her arms gently around Red XIII's neck and felt the warmth of his fur against her skin. When she was done she released Red XIII and nodded her head, and stood up.

"It's a power that we should respect…" Red XIII said.

Barret and Tifa climbed off the Chocobos and released them. The two Chocobos instantly turned and fled from the Zolom's corpse and into the marshes, heading back towards their home ground like Choco Billy had told them. A cave was built into the side of the mountain close to the Midgar Zolom's corpse. They moved as a group passed the bleeding body, and Aeris tried hard not to look at its frozen open eyes as she walked past. She walked quickly passed it and stayed close to Tifa and Cloud, until they had passed safely through the open hole and into the Mythril Mines.

* * *

**Mythril Mine**

Before the use of Mako energy came into fruition, the only energy source that was available was that of Mythril, dug up from mines within mountains like the one they were going through right then. Every wall, path and ledge had once been heavily loaded with Mythril, but now many of the walls were just plain old rock now. There were still some traces of Mythril left in small pits, but other than that it had been dug dry of all Mythril. Now many of the Mythril mines were abandoned. Everything had been replaced by the apparently abundant Mako energy.

Most of the monsters hiding in that cave were nocturnal, but there were a few that weren't. In particular there was a very peculiar species that looked kind of like a crab, crawling across the walls of the mines and looking down at Cloud and his group with hungry eyes. Yet they dared not approach a group so large.

It was a very solemn silence that ran between them as they walked on through the mines. The only sounds came from the echo of their footsteps, or the echo of monster feet tapping against the walls as they watched the group pass through. Their minds were trailing back to the death of the Shinra President and many of the people in the Shinra building, and then to the death of the Midgar Zolom. Both were horrific murders unlike anything they had ever seen, and it was just a small piece of Sephiroth's extended power.

They moved on to the last part of the mine, where a large tree had grown inside, much to their surprise. Its roots were growing all over the place, thick but spread out, winding around the rocks and even bursting through the walls. They were all so silent they hardly even noticed the sound of footsteps heading their way from the ledge above, or the shadow that stopped over them.

"Just a second!" came a voice.

The group stopped and looked up towards the base of the tree, which was positioned on the ledge above by the exit of the mine. Sunlight was shining in from the exit and highlighting the silhouette of Rude as he stood on the edge of the ledge, looking down at them.

Aeris looked up. "By any chance, are you…?" she asked, unable to see Rude clearly.

"Do you know who I am?" Rude asked. He was still wearing his shades, even in the shadows of the mine.

"From the Turks, right?" asked Cloud.

Rude nodded, seeming impressed that they recognised the Turks when they saw them. "Well, if you know, then this won't take long," he said, folding his arms superiorly. "It's difficult to explain what the Turks do…"

Cloud also crossed his arms. "Kidnapping, right?"

Rude looked down at him silently. "To put it negatively…" he said finally, and almost quite sombrely. "You could say that. …But, that's not all there is to it anymore." He seemed about to say something else, but he suddenly stopped and turned aside, falling silent once again. "…… ……" The others watched him curiously. He was very different to Reno. The Turks came in all shapes and sizes, they figured.

"Sir!" came a woman's voice.

The group and Rude all turned and looked up towards a higher ledge above them, where a woman was standing. It was clear from her appearance that she was also a Turk – she had the same blue uniform that Rude, Reno and Tseng all wore. She had short blonde hair that was swept to one side, and a fierce, determined expression.

"It's all right, Rude!" the woman said formerly, standing firm on the rocks. "I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it!"

Rude didn't even give a flicker of a smile. "…Then Elena, explain."

The Turk known as Elena nodded and looked down at Cloud and his group. The way she stood made it clear that she was not very experienced and was trying to assert her authority over them, and not to much success either.

"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena," she said, introducing herself. "Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short of people.. Although because of that, I got promoted to the Turks… In any case, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And try to stop you every step of the way. Wait a minute, it's the other way around… You're the ones that are getting in our way." She scratched her head and turned away, puzzled.

"…Elena. You talk too much."

Elena snapped round and looked down behind Rude, where Tseng walked up from the exit. A wave of red spread across Elena's face as she burned inside, her heart pounding in embarrassment. "Mr. Tseng!" she exclaimed.

Tseng stopped beside Rude and gently pushed his black hair away from his eyes, looking up at the blushing Elena. "No need to tell them about our orders," he told her simply and unemotionally.

Still, Elena continued to blush. "Sorry… Tseng."

Tseng slowly nodded his head. "I thought I gave you other orders," he said to her. Elena looked away for a second, the red glow in her cheeks growing ever stronger, and trembled a little. Tseng sighed and shook his head pitifully, before signalling for her to go. "Now go," he ordered. "Don't forget to file your report.

"Oh! Right!" the young Turk exclaimed. She turned back towards Rude and Tseng and saluted formerly. "Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbour!"

In Cloud's group, Tifa and Aeris giggled slightly at the Turk's mistake. Elena looked at them in bewilderment, wondering what she had said to make them giggle so. She was about to snap at them to shut their mouths, when she saw Rude slowly shaking his head and Tseng looking at the floor, holding his head in his hands.

"…Elena," Tseng whispered sadly. "You don't seem to understand."

Elena blinked, clearly still confused. With a flash she remembered her exact words, and her face burned once again. "Oh!" she exclaimed, shifting uncomfortably on the rock she was standing on. "I'm, I'm sorry…"

"…Go. Don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Yes, sir!" said Elena and Rude together. Elena then turned and ran back through the cave she had come from, desperate to get away before her face literally burst into flames from the embarrassment of messing up in front of her own boss. Rude was about to leave when he stopped as though he had remembered something, and turned back to Cloud and his group.

"…Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed," he said, looking specifically at Cloud as he spoke. "He wanted to show his affection for you all… With a new weapon." He then turned and nodded to Tseng. Tseng nodded back, and Rude ran out of the exit. Once he was gone, Tseng stepped up to the edge and looked down at them.

"Well, then…" he began. He stopped suddenly as he saw Aeris standing between Cloud and Tifa. For a moment there was a flicker of softness in his eyes, which he quickly pushed away. "Aeris… Long time no see. Looks like you got away from the Shinra for a while, now that Sephiroth reappeared."

Aeris narrowed her green eyes fiercely. "…So what are you saying?" she asked of him, sounding angry. "That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?"

"No…" Tseng replied, his own voice sounding a little sad at Aeris's anger. "Well, I won't be seeing too much of you, so take care."

Aeris tilted her head to the side. "…Strange, hearing that from you."

Tseng turned away from them and headed towards the door, hiding the look he had on his face. He then stopped again. "Well then, stay out of Shinra's way," he said instead. Before Aeris could say anything else he quickly walked on and out of the mine, leaving Cloud's team alone in its dark corridors. Aeris looked down at the ground and shuffled her feet.

By the time they finally left the Mythril Mines there was no sign of the Turks, although there were the tracks of a vehicle outside the exit, heading off away from the mine and winding around the Condor Plains into the distance. This was a time when they wished they could have kept the Chocobos, but there was no way they would have got the Chocobos through those caves.

They continued to move on as a group across the Condor Plains, this time a little chirpier now they had left the dank, dreariness of the abandoned mine behind and were walking through the sunlight. Thanks to Elena's naivety and inexperience with the Turks, she had accidentally given away their next location. Cloud had somewhat expected that Sephiroth would be heading to Junon – it was the only place on the continent that allowed transport to the other continent. So it was clear that Sephiroth was planning to go across the ocean, and Cloud would follow him every step of the way.

It was easier to take the direct route to Junon – going in pretty much a straight line towards the shore, and passing through a nearby forest towards the final stretch that led to the port town of Junon. They had to be careful as they walked through the winding paths through the forest – it was not a large forest, but Cappawires and Formulas, vicious plant and bird beasts that were no strangers to attacking unwary travellers inhabited it. The problem lay mainly with the Cappawires – they looked so much like ordinary plants it was almost impossible to distinguish them from the rest of the forest wildlife.

Yet, as it turned out, it was neither the Cappawires nor the Formula birds that they had to be wary of. As they continued to walk through the forest, they were completely unaware of something stalking them, following them cautiously through the treetops. It trailed them throughout the forest – a sly shadow preparing to strike.

It was Red XIII who noticed it first. His keen hearing caught the sound of shuffling amongst the treetops, something that was not the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. He stopped suddenly and fell silent, his body not moving at all, and his ears twitching gently round to focus solely on the sound.

The stalker froze, poised on a branch above him. The stalker held his breath, trying not to make a sound that would give him away. Then, very cautiously, he slowly backed off into the shadows of the leaves, and out of sight.

"What is it?" Cloud asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Everyone stopped and turned to Red XIII.

Red XIII continued to look around the treetops, his sharp eyes focusing on the movement of every leaf on every branch. He sniffed at the air and sure enough, there was a scent in the air that did not belong to any monster. "We're being followed," he said in reply.

With a sudden bust of speed Red XIII spun round and dashed off into the trees and out of sight. Cloud and the others stayed where they were, confused. They too began to look around, but they could not hear, see or smell anything rather than the fragrance of the forest. They couldn't even hear Red XIII now, and the silence was extremely uncomfortable.

Moments later a piercing scream rang through the forest and everyone turned sharply to the bushes nearby. They rustled loudly before suddenly parting, and someone ran out.

It was a girl no more than sixteen years old, and was dressed in an outfit that none of them had ever seen before. She looked like some sort of ninja or warrior, dressed in a tight green sleeveless top that stopped just on the diaphragm, and a pair of thick white shorts that were perfect for running in. Her left arm was protected by a long white panel that was used as a shield, attached to her body by hooks around the palm of her hand and a piece of armour attached to her shoulder. Her other arm was encased in a band rising up to her upper arm, and an armlet around her wrist. On her feet were boots with straps attaching them to her shorts. Her hair was short and dark brown, with a band tied around her forehead and two long strips resting down her back. What was most amazing about her was her weapon. It was a four-point Shuriken – a ninja's weapon. It was a deadly weapon when in the hands of the skilled, and from the looks of her she probably was.

Moments after the girl came tumbling out of the forest, Red XIII came dashing out. The girl jumped back in a fright, gripping her Shuriken tightly in her hands. Red XIII looked up at her and snarled fiercely.

"Hey! Back off, you stupid mutt!" the girl snapped, waving her Shuriken in front of her in an attempt to keep Red XIII from getting closer to her.

"This girl's been following us ever since we entered the forest!" Red XIII growled.

Everyone turned and looked at the girl with interest. She was really no more than a child, and couldn't see any sense in her wandering around the forest by herself. She was clearly not from this continent, that much was certain. The way she dressed and her strong, aggressive accent gave that away.

The girl looked around and, seeing that she was surrounded, quickly spun round and made a dash for the trees. She zipped past Tifa as she ran, quickly reaching out to the girl before pulling away again and making a break again for the trees. Before she could get away Barret quickly grabbed her, picking her up with one arm and using his other harm to hold her still. The girl struggled, but Barret was far stronger.

"Hey! Lemme go!"

Tifa checked herself over. She glanced over at her armlet, and saw the empty spot where her piece of Fire Materia had once been. "She stole my materia!" Tifa exclaimed, showing Cloud her empty armlet. "The little thief stole it!"

"I am not a thief!" the girl protested fiercely. "I didn't steal anything! You probably just dropped it when you were walking. Now let go of me, before I get mad!"

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "A Materia Hunter, huh?"

Barret tightened his grip on the girl's arms. She struggled harder, but the pain was too much to bear and she was forced to open up her hands. Her Shuriken dropped harmlessly onto the forest floor, along with the green ball of materia. Cloud walked over and picked it up, holding it in front of the girl's face.

"I think this belongs to us," he said.

The girl froze, realising that she had been caught out. She looked into Cloud's eyes before looking away, quickly thinking about her situation. Eventually, she looked up again. "Alright, so maybe I did steal it," she admitted. "But you should keep a tighter grip on your possessions! It's not my fault if they happen to 'slip' into my hands."

Cloud turned away from the girl and threw the materia back to Tifa, who placed it back in her armlet, giving the girl a fierce glare as she did so. The young girl sighed.

"Okay, you got your materia back," she said. She tilted her head back and glared up at Barret. "Now, let me go, you big DOPE! You're hurting me!!!"

Barret looked over to Cloud, who nodded. He then threw the girl down onto the ground, and she rolled over onto her knees. She stayed there for a second, before she suddenly began to chuckle. Her chuckle got louder until it attracted the attention of the group. She slowly turned to them, still on the floor, a wide grin on her face.

"One thing you should always remember," she said. "Is never let go of the Materia Hunter!"

She suddenly zipped up and darted forward, incredibly fast. Barret didn't even have time to dodge as she ran past, snatching the materia from his gun-arm as she passed and ran off into the forest, laughing as she did so. The group all jumped in surprise, and began to chase after her.

She was incredibly fast as she dashed through the forest, zipping through the bushes and dodging the trees. She could possibly even beat Red XIII in a race, and as she knew every inch of the forest, she had the advantage over her pursuers. With her Shuriken in her hand she cut away the overhanging branches and bushes that blocked her path. That was her only mistake – she was giving them a trail to follow.

Cloud pulled ahead of the others as they tore through the forest after the girl, but even he was not fast enough to catch up to her. She was already well away from them, and fatigue was beginning to take its hold on Cloud and slow him down. Eventually he was forced to stop, but he wasn't prepared to let the girl escape yet.

Quickly drawing his sword he flipped the blade over and pulled out the red materia he received from the Chocobos at Chocobo Farm. Closing his eyes he concentrated until the materia began to glow, and then he threw the ball forward into the forest.

The materia flew threw the air, and a bright wave of light burst from its centre. The light flashed through the trees, and the materia disappeared. Then from the light emerged a silhouetted figure, tearing out of the light and into the forest. This was the effect of Summon Materia – calling forth a beast within.

Not that this was a beast, and it was easy to see why the Chocobos were attracted to it. The materia released the energy of a Chocobo, which began to dash through the forest after the thief. Riding on the Chocobo's back was a moogle, ushering the bird on. The girl glanced back and saw the Choco/Mog heading towards her. She cried out in fright, and pushed herself harder.

She may have been a fast runner, but she was not fast enough to outrun a Chocobo. The Chocobo and its moogle owner tore after her until it was just a few feet behind her. The Chocobo lurched its head forward and grabbed onto the rim of the girl's shorts. She fell off her feet instantly as the Chocobo lifted her up and began to carry her back towards Cloud. The Chocobo dropped her easily at Cloud's feet, and then vanished and returned to its original materia state. Cloud caught the ball and put it back on his sword, before walking up to the girl.

As he approached her she suddenly jumped to her feet and swung her Shuriken in an attempt to cut Cloud's head off. Cloud pulled away and pulled his sword up in front of his face, blocking the Shuriken off. The others finally caught up to see Cloud and the young girl engaged in the middle of a fierce test of strength, trying to outwit one another and who would miss the strike first.

The girl swiped her Shuriken towards Cloud's head again, and once again Cloud blocked it with his blade. The edges of the Shuriken became jammed with the handle of Cloud's sword, and she couldn't pull it away. She struggled and pulled hard, but it wouldn't budge. Realising this, Cloud quickly flicked his sword up. The Shuriken fell from the girl's hands and through the air, landing safely on the ground a few metres away. The girl fell backwards onto the ground, defeated.

Cloud panted heavily and leaned over to pick up the ball of materia that had also fallen from the girl's hands along with her weapon. He kept his sword aimed at her in case she made any other attempts to run away, but from the defeated look on her face it was clear she wasn't going to. He then withdrew his sword and put it back where it belonged. She was talented, that was clear. She turned away, sulking.

The others then began to walk up to them, and Cloud threw the materia to Barret. "Cloud, do you know her?" Tifa asked.

"Who is that girl…?" wondered Aeris.

Cloud walked back to the girl, who was now sat with her back to them. "Man……" she said quietly to herself as he approached. "I can't believe I lost…" She shook her head and climbed to her feet, brushing the dirt and soil off her clothes. She suddenly leaped up over a metre into the air and flipped over Cloud, landing daintily on the ground behind him, an angry look on her face. "You spiky-headed jerk!" she yelled at him. "One more time, let's go one more time!"

Cloud shook his head in reply. "Not interested," he said. He'd had pretty much enough chasing this girl. Still, he couldn't help but wonder…

"Thinkin' of running away?" she asked him sarcastically. Even without her Shuriken, she raised her fists and began to punch the air furiously, so fast it was hard to see her fists move. "Stay and fight!" She ran to Cloud and punched, but he stepped back away from her. "FIGHT, I said!" she snapped. "C'mon…… What's the matter? You're pretty scared of me, huh!?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "……Petrified."

At his reply the girl jumped up again and landed behind Cloud again, perched on a nearby rock so she stood almost as tall as him. "Hmm, just as I thought. What do you expect with my skills?" she said smugly. She was acting as though she had never even lost. She gave them a little wave. "Good luck to you guys, too. If you feel up to it, we can go another round. Later!" She jumped off the rock and began to run back towards the forest. Before she left the small clearing, she stopped and looked back at Cloud. "I'm really gonna leave! REALLY!"

Cloud glanced around at the others, wanting their opinion. Aeris was nodding her head at him even as he turned. Tifa and Red XIII both seemed a little unsure, but eventually they agreed. Barret looked around and saw the three of them nodding. He then quickly shook his head fiercely, not trusting the young girl one bit. But he was outnumbered, so Cloud turned back to the girl.

"Wait a second!" he called out to her.

"What is it, you still have somethin' for me?" the girl asked him. In truth she was expecting him to stop her from running, if not hoping that he would. She turned back and walked slowly towards the group. "……Hmmm. So is that it? I know you want my help because I'm so good! You want me to go with you?"

"……That's right," said Cloud. He prayed it was the right decision. Behind him, Barret sagged in dismay.

A smile spread on the girl's face, her inner ego rising. "Heh, heh…… thought so," she said. She turned away and began to pace back and forth across the floor, pretending to be making a decision. Cloud rolled his eyes again. "You put me in a spot. Hmm, what should I do? But if you want me that bad, I can't refuse…" She clapped her hands together and turned back to them, smiling. "All right!" she announced. "I'll go with you!"

The others all sighed heavily. Finally. "……Let's hurry on," Cloud said to everyone, and they all turned and began to walk off through the forest, past the girl and leaving her behind. She stared in astonishment.

"Huh? Hey… HEY! Wait!" she called. She ran across the ground and picked up her Shuriken, and turned back to the others. "I haven't even told you my name…… I'm Yuffie! Good to meetcha!"

She waited until the others were all out of earshot, before she turned away from them and began to rub her hands together gleefully. A sly smile spread on her face.

"Heh, heh……" she laughed quietly to herself. "Just as I planned. Now all I have to do is… a little this…… and a little that…… nyuk, nyuk, nyuk……" She suddenly looked up around her, realising that she was alone. "Hey, wait up! Wait for me!!" she called, beginning to run back after the group.


	33. Part 03: Chapter 33

**Final Fantasy VII **

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Following their rather strange encounter with the Materia Hunter known as Yuffie Kisaragi, the group of six headed on towards the port town of Junon in the far west of the continent.

Back in the days before the Shinra and the use of Mako energy, Junon had been a busy port town filled with fishermen, traders, merchants and all kinds of travellers journeying to and from the continent. The port joined up with its partner port of Costa del Sol on the shores of the Western Continent, a popular holiday place. Once upon a time ships would be constantly moving in and out of the ports docks. That was until the Shinra moved in.

Junon was now a completely different place, nothing like it used to be. There were very few people living in Junon now that weren't from the Shinra, and the once happy, light and busy streets of Junon were now dark, desolate and lonely. There were only a few people wandering around, and they were elderly people who were unable to afford to move. The young people had all left for a better place to live.

That wasn't the only thing that had changed. The port town of Junon had now become a two-layered city. The actual port of Junon lay at the bottom, and the larger city built up against the mountain was above it, built by the Shinra to house their ever-expanding empire. The larger city, built entirely of metal, overshadowed the small port and practically blocked off most of the sunlight, hence the darkness that swamped it. The only to the upper part of Junon lay in a lift that was built at the far end of the town. However the Shinra guarded that, so getting up there was not going to be an easy task.

Cloud and his friends, and their new friend, Yuffie, all stood in the entrance of the town and looked around. The town was so empty and lonely; most of the shops were boarded up, with many others ready to give up as well. Most of the business now was in the upper city. It reminded them a little of Midgar. The port of Junon had become the slums to the greater upper city of Junon.

"What happened to this town…?" Cloud asked, greatly saddened to see the great port reduced to a lonely slum. "It's so run down…"

Their presence attracted the attention of a nearby woman who was just coming out of her house to go to one of the few remaining shops. Like many of the remaining citizens of this town she was elderly and was forced to walk slowly, not that anyone in Shinra would have cared. The people of Shinra had almost forgotten the people in Lower Junon, and only posted a guard at the lift to keep them separate. As the woman came out she looked at them, and blinked in surprise.

"Well, now this is rare," she said, her voice old and croaking. She wandered slowly over to them. "We almost never have anyone other than the Shinra people visit this town." She eyed them over, looking at them closely through her old, aged eyes, and slowly nodded her head. "I know you guys want to get to the Western Continent, but the only way is on a Shinra ship."

That was enough to put the group down. Not only did Shinra control the town, but they also controlled the ships travelling to and from Junon as well. And since Shinra was on a constant lookout for Cloud and his group, as well as Sephiroth, getting on board a ship was not going to be easy either.

They left the old woman to her muttering and headed deeper into the town, and looked around at what few people remained in the town. All of the tradesmen and businessmen had packed up and left long ago, and there weren't many fishermen left. Thanks to the Mako reactor that had been built close to Junon, the ocean water surrounding the town had become very polluted – there were hardly any fish left. In order for the fisherman to catch their fish they had to go further out into the ocean – something that was very dangerous these days.

Separating from the group a little bit, Tifa walked on and stood by the old stonewall that bordered the once popular shores from the rest of the port. She frowned as she saw the water. It was slightly dirty, but she knew that beneath the water it would be even more polluted. A large electric tower positioned in the water, rising all the way up to the city above, also spoilt the sight. She looked up and was instantly reminded of Midgar – the large plates blocking her view of the sunlight.

"Hey! Mr. Dolphin!" came a young female voice.

Tifa looked down in surprise to see a young girl about seven or eight year's old standing on the shore. She was dressed in a swimsuit and had a pair of armbands clamped tightly around her arms. As Tifa watched the water close to the shore rippled, and to her complete astonishment a small blue head popped out. It was the head of a dolphin. A dolphin, so close to the polluted shores of Junon.

The girl smiled and waved happily at the dolphin, before cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "My name is…… Pri-scil-la!" she shouted out to the swimming dolphin. "Now you say it!"

The dolphin made its playful sounds in reply, before diving through the air and splashing in the water again. Priscilla turned to see Tifa walked slowly down the steps towards her, her eyes wide in awe at the sight of the beautiful dolphin. Cloud and Aeris were walking close behind her, while the others watched silently at the top of the shore. Apart from Yuffie, that is, who was already busy scavenging the city for any materia that she could swipe.

"Who are you guys?" Priscilla demanded, placing her hands on her hips indignantly. "Are you members of the Shinra, Inc?"

The sudden hostility to her voice made the three stop in surprise. "No…" replied Tifa calmly. "Stay calm…"

"…That's how it is," said Cloud.

Priscilla's eyes flashed fiercely, the anger and hatred showing plainly on her tanned little face. "I don't believe you!" she snapped, stamping her foot against the sandy floor. "Get out of here!"

Cloud held his head. "Great…" he groaned. That was all they needed. It was clear that the Shinra were hated in Junon as much as Midgar. Not that he could blame them. The Shinra weren't exactly popular anywhere.

"What's that!" cried Aeris suddenly.

Everyone turned to the shore where Aeris was pointing, just in time to see the water around the beach begin to ripple towards them. The rippling formed into a small wave that crashed down onto the beach, going up close to the spot where Priscilla was standing. Beneath the surface of the water they could see a large shadow skulking around the electric tower. As they watched, the shadow abruptly rose up out of the water and revealed itself.

It was an enormous sea serpent, with silky scales so smooth the water slid off easily down its long, thin frame. Its face was long and pointed, with a mouth filled with many sharp teeth shaped specifically like a razor, or like a pterodactyl's teeth. It had large fins on the side of its cylindrical body, spraying water into the air as they flapped back and forth.

The dolphin was still swimming around in the water then, swimming very close to where the sea serpent had arisen. As the playful dolphin saw the serpent its entire blue body convulsed in fear, and he quickly dived down beneath the surface, moving its tail rapidly to swim off before it was caught. The serpent saw the flash of movement from the dolphin, and snapped its head round towards it.

"Be careful, Mr. Dolphin!" Priscilla cried.

She ran down the beach towards the water's edge and dived fearlessly into the water. She rose to the surface and began to swim towards the dolphin, determined to save her water bound friend.

The serpent saw her coming and sank down beneath the surface of the water. Priscilla stopped and looked around, wondering where the serpent had gone. Seconds later a huge shadow appeared beneath her, but she had no time to move. The water around her exploded into the air as the serpent burst up from beneath the surface, carrying Priscilla with it. The girl fell through the air, falling away from the serpent and back towards the water.

She landed back in the water with an almighty splash, sinking straight to the bottom as the suction from the serpent caught her up. Her head banged hard on a rock lying at the bottom of the water, and from that moment on she lay limp, floating silently on the ocean floor.

"Hey!" Cloud called out, seeing Priscilla sink. "Hold on, we're coming!"

Quickly he unhooked his sword and threw it down onto the floor, along with the armour he had on his shoulder. Then, without waiting for anyone to protest, he ran forward and dived headfirst into the swirling water, swimming down to save the girl before she drowned.

"Cloud! No!" cried Tifa. She made to run to the water after him, but the serpent raised its tail and slammed it down into the water in front of her. It raised its head and screeched loudly, making the very water shake with its cry. It then turned to Tifa and began to lunge at her, its mouth wide open to reveal the sharp razor-like teeth that would cut her to shreds.

A bright blaze of white flashed through the air, and the sea serpent quickly withdrew. An icy casing formed over its head, freezing its jaws solid so they couldn't move. Tifa spun round to see Barret tearing down the stairs towards her, and she smiled. The sea serpent struggled violently for a second as the ice around its face began to crack and shatter, until it broke free and lifted its head high, screeching loudly.

It didn't have time to retaliate, for seconds later a blast of fire suddenly rose up and smashed it right in the face. The serpent screeched again in pain as clouds of smoke and steam slowly rose into the air around its face, its scaly face burned by the flames of Tifa's magic.

Down beneath the surface of the water, Cloud swam down towards the ocean bed, surprised at how deep the water had become because of the serpent's arrival. He eventually found Priscilla a few feet below him, her body limp and her eyes closed. Normally she would have floated back up to the surface because of her armbands, but a long length of watery reeds growing from the ocean floor had tied themselves around her ankle, preventing her from going anywhere.

Quickly Cloud swam to her, pulling her around to face him. She was unconscious and losing air fast. He moved down and tugged hard on the reed entangled around her ankle. It was as tight as anything, and was so slippery in the water it was hard to get a decent grip on it. Cloud refused to give up and pulled hard.

A loud explosion rippled through the water above him, and he spared a glance upwards. A fiery red glow was shining through the surface of the water, and he could faintly hear the agonised, warbled cry of the sea serpent as it cried out again, before a flash of movement signalled to him that it had lunged again. He shook his head and turned back to Priscilla. He had to get her out soon.

The serpent snapped its jaws angrily, lunging towards the beach again with intense ferocity. Tifa and Aeris dived apart from where they stood as the serpent's head slammed into the sand between them. Red XIII took that time to lunge at the creature's head and clutched on. The creature's skin was so thick and much harder than he expected, so he wasn't able to get a strong grip. It was strong enough for him to hold on as the serpent rose upright again, and Red XIII thrust his head down at the serpent's green eyes.

There was a loud cry and a spurt of watery green blood as Red XIII's teeth tore through the soft flesh of one of its eyes. In agony the monster thrashed its head, throwing Red XIII off in the process. He flew through the air and crashed back onto the beach, rolling across the sand until he slammed into the far wall.

"Look out!" Aeris cried again.

Everyone turned as the sea serpent spun around in the water, lifting its tail up out of the water and flicking it out towards them. The group all jumped back out of its way, but Aeris was not able to move fast enough. The long, vine-like tail of the serpent wrapped around her waist and flung her to the floor, before dragging her back and into the water, pulling her under and out of sight.

"Aeris!!!" yelled Tifa.

Cloud finally snapped the reed in half and pulled Priscilla free, pulling her close to him as he began to swim back towards the surface, desperate for air. He felt the loud thud of the serpent's tail landing back in the water, and opened his eyes wide in horror as he saw Aeris flash past him, entwined in the monster's tail, before she disappeared to the surface again. Quickly Cloud swam back to the surface, carrying Priscilla with him.

They broke the surface of the water and Cloud gasped for air, before looking around for Aeris. He saw her just a few metres above him, the serpent's tail still holding her by her waist above the water. He couldn't reach her. The serpent screeched again, preparing to lunge another attack at his friends on the beach.

"HYAH!!!"

A swift figure tore down the steps onto the beach and zipped across the sand, kicking it up behind her as she ran. Barret didn't have time to turn as Yuffie ran up behind him, nor react as she leaped up onto his back and jumped off, propelling herself up into the air. She pulled out her Shuriken as she flew up, its four metal points flashing in the light.

She brought the Shuriken down hard as she neared the sea serpent's head, and the monster cried out as one of its four points landed squarely in its forehead. Yuffie used this connection as a hook as she brought her feet down firmly on the creature, before pulling the Shuriken down to cut a long, deep gash in the monster's head. In response the monster thrashed and screeched, more blood beginning to trickle from its face. It snapped upwards, trying to bite the attacking ninja.

Yuffie was already gone, however. She leaped from the serpent's head and back into the air, falling down towards the monster's tail where Aeris was still being held. Another flick from her Shuriken saw to that problem as the end of the monster's tail was cut clean off, releasing Aeris and dropping her towards the ocean, along with the tail piece. Cloud immediately began to swim to her, still with Priscilla in his arms. Aeris threw her arms around him as he neared her, and together they began to swim back to the shore.

Her job complete, Yuffie jumped from the monster's tail and onto its thrashing fin, making one final jump back to the shore. The sea serpent was splashing angrily in the water, one too many wounds making it screech in pain. It eventually gave up its fight and turned away, diving back into the water and swimming away from the port to lick its painful wounds.

Tifa immediately ran to the water's edge in time to help Cloud, Aeris and Priscilla out of the water. Aeris was fine, if a little shaken, but Priscilla was not so good. They dragged her up away from the water and lay her down on the sand. Her dark hair was strewn over her face, but she wasn't making any sign of movement at all.

"This is bad…" Cloud said as they all gathered around the unconscious girl. "You don't think she's dead, do you?"

"Priscilla!"

They looked up to see an old man standing on the top of the stairs. As he saw Priscilla lying there on the sand, motionless, he ran as quickly as his old body could carry him to get to her, pushing Cloud and Aeris aside to be close to her. They watched as he leaned over and put his face close to her mouth, trying to feel her breath against his cheek. He shook his head, his eyes dimming.

"Nope… She's not breathing…" he said sadly. He sagged for a second, before his eyes suddenly lit up and he spun around to Cloud. "Young man, CPR, now!"

Cloud jumped back in surprise, his blue eyes narrowing in fright. "Mouth to mouth!?" he demanded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Cloud, what are you going to do?" Tifa demanded of him angrily.

"But… She's just a girl…"

"Cloud, hurry!" Aeris urged him.

Cloud looked down at the ground, unsure. He knew he was the best person to give CPR. He was strong enough, after all, but… she was a child – he couldn't bring himself to do that. Besides, he didn't really know how – he'd never have to give CPR before. That confusion showed clearly in his face, and the old man stared at him.

"What? You don't know how?" he asked. "Come over here, I'll show you." He moved aside just out of earshot of the others, and motioned for Cloud to come over. Cloud looked around at the urging looks of Tifa and the others, before he sagged.

"Guess I gotta do it…" he agreed finally, and went over to the old man, who pulled him round to face him.

"Just take a deep breath, hold it in," the old man explained to him, using hand actions to show what he meant and how much air to take in. "Then breathe into her." He ran behind Cloud and gave him a harsh push. "Hurry up and do it!"

Cloud went back over to Priscilla and looked down at her. He knew he had to do it – she was going to die if he didn't. Kneeling down beside her he carefully pushed her hair away from her face, and gently tilted her head back to clear her airway. Pinching her nose closed with one hand, Cloud opened her mouth and took a deep breath, before placing his mouth firmly over hers and breathing into her. He could see her lungs rising as he breathed into her, air filling them.

He pulled away from her and looked down. Nothing was happening – Priscilla was still unconscious. He looked around at the hopeful faces of the others and the old man. Aeris was holding onto the young girl's hand, looking down at her with a look of fear in her eyes. She suddenly looked up at Cloud, the fear in her eyes turning to desperation. Cloud nodded slowly, before he went down, pinched her nose again and breathed deeply into her once more. Yet with each breath he gave her, Priscilla gave no signs of movement, and it didn't look like she was going to.

Then, as Cloud breathed into her for the tenth time, he felt something gurgle from within Priscilla's throat, and he quickly pulled away. Aeris's eyes lit up as the young girl shuddered slightly and coughed, coughing up water that had been lying in her lungs. She then gasped for air, her throat coarse and sore.

"Uh… ugh…" she spluttered. The old man was by her side in a flash, politely pushing Aeris away so he could be beside her.

"Hey, hey! Priscilla, are you alright?" he said. Priscilla moaned slightly, and the man sighed heavily in relief. He picked her up gently in his arms and began to carry her off back into the town, to get her inside and warmed up before she caught pneumonia and got even more ill.

Cloud sighed heavily, feeling a little breathless after all that. He was relieved Priscilla was all right, but she wasn't completely out of danger just yet. Even so Tifa patted him on the arm, pleased that her childhood friend had just saved a young child's life.

There was no reason for them to stay on the shore any longer, so the group headed back into town. Cloud and Aeris were still dripping after being in the water, and by now they were both beginning to feel a little cold. A few people had gathered in the doorways of their houses, smiling at them and congratulating them on the success of their fight.

Yuffie, of course, was living up this moment of fame as she ran around from house to house, explaining to everyone how she had defeated the serpent. The way she explained it made it seem that she had been the only one in the fight, and everyone else was just a hindrance to her superior talent and skill.

Barret cocked his gun fiercely, aiming at Yuffie from across the town. "Jes' one shot and I can shut that damn mouth of hers!" he growled. Cloud watched him and sighed inwardly, a little too tired to be bothered with Barret's rants right then.

Tifa saw the look on Cloud's face and quickly interrupted Barret. "Leave it alone, Barret," she said. "I think we can handle her bragging this one time. She did actually save us." Barret shook his fists angrily as he watched Yuffie showing off to the locals, but he eventually gave in and turned away to see the old woman they had spotted before heading towards them.

"Hey," the old woman said to them. "Come in for a while."

She turned and walked off, leaving Cloud and his group looking around aimlessly, wondering what she meant. The old woman stopped by the entrance to her house and opened the door, nodding for them to come in. The group did as they were told and entered the old woman's house. It was amazingly warm and cosy inside, seeming completely different from the rundown looks of the outside. The woman came in last, shutting the door behind her.

"I heard what happened," she said to them, walking over to the table where a pot of tea had just brewed. She poured two mugs and offered them to Cloud and Aeris, who took them gladly. The warmth was so nice after the cold of the water, and it warmed them up nicely. "You've done so much for Priscilla. You all must be tired. If you want to get some rest, stay here." She poured a few more mugs for Tifa, Barret and Red XIII, before heading back to the door. There she stopped, and looked back at them with an old, kind smile. "Make yourselves at home," she said, before leaving them.

Once she was gone, Red XIII climbed up onto one of the stairs and sniffed at his mug of tea. It smelled so nice – shame he couldn't drink from a mug. That didn't stop him from trying though, as he flicked his tongue carefully inside the mug.

"So, what now?" asked Barret, who was not at all interested in drinking tea just yet.

Cloud shrugged. "I'm not really sure," he replied, drinking more of the tea.

"We don't even know if Sephiroth is here, or if he's already left," pointed out Red XIII.

"If he has, then we follow him," Cloud said, determined.

"But how?" asked Aeris. "The only way across is on a Shinra ship."

"Let's not think about this right now," said Tifa suddenly. She turned to Cloud. "Take a rest?"

Cloud folded his arms and tapped his foot thoughtfully, rubbing the side of the cup gently. Eventually he nodded. "Yeah… Let's rest."


	34. Part 03: Chapter 34

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

Once all the tea was drunk and cups had been cleared, Cloud lay silently on the bed inside the old woman's house, slowly drifting off to sleep once the warmth of the tea had taken effect on him. The house itself was quite warm and his clothes were drying quickly, although they were still a little damp. He had heard the others talking before about ways to get to the upper city, but everyone was silent now. Even Yuffie had come back eventually, bored of her bragging. Cloud was thinking of nothing right then, and his mind was perfectly silent.

…_That reminds me._

Cloud jumped a little, opening his mind's eye before frowning. He knew the silence was too good to be true. _"You again?"_ he asked, speaking to the blackness that surrounded him. _"…Who are you?"_

…_You'll find out soon. ……But more importantly, 5 years ago…_

"_5 years ago…"_ Cloud said, thinking back. _"Nibelheim?"_

_When you went to Mt. Nibel then, Tifa was your guide, right?_

"_Yeah… I was surprised."_

_But where was Tifa other than that?_

Cloud closed his mind's eye for a moment, confused at the question. Where was Tifa other than as a guide? It didn't make any sense. He tried to think, running everything through in his mind, but he couldn't think of any time where Tifa could have been somewhere else.

"…_I dunno,"_ he replied eventually.

_It was a great chance for you two to see each other again._

"…_You're right."_

_Why couldn't you see each other alone?_

Cloud shook his head, feeling an overwhelming pressure beginning to build behind his eyes as he tried to remember – to fill in the blanks in his memory. _"…I don't know,"_ he said. He held his head as it began to pound from the pressure. _"I can't remember clearly…"_

_Why don't you try asking Tifa?_

"…_Yeah."_

_Then, get up!_

"Hey, wake up! Wake up, Cloud!"

Cloud's eyes snapped open, but it was not the sound of Tifa's voice that had awoken him, but rather the silent command from the peculiar entity that kept speaking to him. He rolled over slightly and saw Tifa standing beside him, looking down at him with a slightly concerned look on her face. Cloud slowly sat up, his head still aching but the pounding easing off, and realised that he had kicked off most of the bed sheets. No wonder Tifa looked worried. She reached out to help him up but he stopped her, and stood up firmly, shaking his head as he did so.

Also as he stood up, the sound of music began to ring in the background. It was faint, but loud enough to ring through the closed doors of the house. It was a form of parade music, but Cloud had other things on his mind right then. There was no one else in the house except them right then, so he was free to ask.

"Tifa…" he said, looking up at Tifa through shaken blue eyes. "When Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?"

Tifa tilted her head to the side, seeming confused. "…We saw each other, right?"

"The other time."

Tifa closed her eyes for a moment, thinking back, and Cloud waited patiently for her answer. A frown spread on her face, and she eventually shook her head, her brown hair swaying across her face. "No…" she said, and reopened her eyes. "It was five years ago. I don't remember." She shook her head again, before changing the subject. "But something seems strange outside. Cloud, come quick!"

With that she turned and fled for the door before Cloud could even think of stopping her. The moment she opened the door the sound of the music instantly became louder, and the two of them ran out into the streets of Lower Junon.

Tifa was right: there was something very peculiar going on. The music that they could hear was not actually coming from the lower port of Junon, but rather from the Upper City where the Shinra were based. A number of people were standing in the street looking up towards the upper city, but the majority of them had gathered around the main house in the middle of the town. Also standing there were Barret and the others, waiting for Cloud and Tifa to run up.

Yuffie was jumping from foot to foot, her hands clamped over her ears irritably. "What's this loud music?" she demanded. "It's giving me a headache!"

"Doesn't it seem a little strange?" Tifa asked Cloud. "Everything getting so noisy all of a sudden…?"

Cloud nodded and looked up towards the upper city where the music was coming from. It was no use – he couldn't see anything. The large metal wall that was the side of the city made sure that nothing could be seen. Just then all of the people surrounding the main house fell silent he brought his gaze back down to Lower Junon. The door opened and out walked Priscilla, still dressed in her swimsuit but looking much better than before. Cloud walked up the steps leading up to the house and stopped near her.

"Are you all right now?" he asked.

Priscilla slowly nodded her head, her face blushing intensely as she looked back at Cloud with a shy smile. "Umm… thanks for helping…" she said sincerely. Cloud gave her a nod, and they both walked down towards the others waiting at the bottom. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for one of those Shinra, Inc…" she said.

"That's all right," Cloud said, waving his hand dismissively. Priscilla still looked a little embarrassed though, and looked down at the ground. Then she suddenly lifted her head and looked directly at Cloud, making him feel a little uneasy.

"I'll give you something SPECIAL!" she announced. She then delved into the pocket of her swimsuit and pulled out a small red ball, and the moment everyone set their eyes on it they stared in total surprise. It was Materia, and not just any Materia. It was Summon Materia. Priscilla handed it to Cloud, who took it. "It's an amulet," she said to him, the red burn still showing on her face. "Take good care of it, okay?"

Cloud nodded and looked down at the red ball of Materia in his hands. He wondered how Priscilla managed to get her hands on such a powerful form of Materia, even though it was clear that she didn't know what it was. Inside the Materia he could see the faint image of a female-like figure, shrouded in a very light blue aura. He vaguely remembered this Materia – he'd heard of it before. Shiva… he thought it was called. A maiden of pure ice.

"What's that music?" Barret asked the young girl. "It sure sounds lively."

Priscilla nodded her head. "I heard they're rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president," she told him. The moment she mentioned the Shinra the familiar sense of hostility appeared in her voice again, and her eyes flared up. Her dislike the Shinra was something she found very hard to control.

"Rufus!?" Barret said, his rage matching Priscilla's as he raised his gun-arm up to the sky, wishing it was aiming at Rufus's head. "I gotta pay my respects."

Priscilla walked past the group and looked out at the ocean. "Grandpa and grandma told me this beach was beautiful when they were small," she said, her voice calming a little. "But after the Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted… I was raised on that story and hate the Shinra so much, I could die!"

"You think Rufus is thinking about crossing the ocean from here, too?" Aeris asked. "What? Does that mean Sephiroth already crossed the ocean?"

Red XIII tilted his head and looked at Cloud. "Cloud, didn't you finish Rufus off?"

Cloud shook his head. Unfortunately he had never got the chance to finish Rufus off, because Rufus had fled before their battle could be concluded. Rufus, the son of the former President Shinra, now the new president and he was just as ruthless as his father was, if not even worse.

Having Rufus in Junon made one thing certain: they were going in the right direction after Sephiroth, whether he had crossed the ocean or not. It also looked like they were also going to be trailing the Shinra every step of the way as well. He was so distracted in his own thoughts right then, he didn't notice the others all gathering around the wall bordering the beach.

"We gotta get to the town up there…" Barret was saying. He looked around and then pointed to the tower standing in the water, which rose to the Upper City. "Mebbe we could climb the tower?"

"No! No!" Priscilla cried at him, running in front and waving her arms madly. "There's a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don't wander near it, it's dangerous!" She then suddenly turned away and looked into the water. Moments later she clapped her hands excitedly and turned back. "But… you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!"

Priscilla then ran down the steps and onto the beach again, stopping by the water's edge and signalling for them all to follow her. One by one the others exchanged glances, none of them at all keen to go near the electrified tower and risk being electrocuted. Yet as they looked at each other the same thought crossed their minds, and slowly they all turned to look at Cloud still standing by Priscilla's house in thought.

"High voltage tower……" said Tifa, a slow smile spreading on her face as she looked at Cloud. "I guess this means Cloud'll be all right."

"Yeah, better leave it to Cloud," said Aeris, nodding in agreement.

At the mention of his name Cloud finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the others. They were all staring back at him, the same knowing and sly smiles on their face. Cloud blinked, but as he saw Priscilla on the shore, he figured out just what they were smiling about.

"We're counting on you, Cloud," Red XIII said. And before Cloud could even think about protesting, the group quickly separated and headed back into the town, passing Cloud and leaving him standing in front of the house on his own.

"Hey! Wait a second!" Cloud called, but no one listened to him. He eventually gave in and sighed heavily – he knew better than to argue, because he wouldn't win. So he headed down the steps onto the beach, and went to Priscilla.

"Wait a minute," she told him.

She turned away from him and put her hand in her pocket again, pulling out what looked like a long, shiny whistle. She put it to her mouth and gave it a quick, sharp blow, and it whistled loudly. At first nothing happened, but moments later the water in front of them began to ripple slightly as the shadow of the dolphin swam underneath it. Clearly it had not been hurt by the sea serpent from earlier.

The dolphin then rose up and lifted its head out of the water, looking at Cloud and Priscilla with its usual, playful grin, before it dipped beneath the surface again. Then all of a sudden the dolphin dived up out of the water and up into the air. It rose a good ten metres up towards a metal bar that joined the tower to the side of the upper city wall, before falling down to the water again. He landed expertly with a loud splash, sending showers of spray into the air.

"Now ain't that something!" came Barret's voice. Cloud turned to see Barret walking towards him across the beach. He stopped beside Cloud. "I ain't never seen no Dolphin jump like that!"

Priscilla nodded her head proudly. "Pretty cool, huh? When I blow this whistle, Mr. Dolphin jumps for me." She skipped over to Cloud and held out the whistle, which was tied to a thin length of rope. "Here!! This is for you, Cloud!"

Cloud took the whistle and looked at it. "A gift?" he asked, confused. "What am I supposed to do with it!?"

Priscilla held her head in her hands and shook it pitifully. She then grabbed Cloud by his hand and pulled him towards, and then pushing him towards the water. "Just go into the water, blow the whistle, and Mr. Dolphin'll jump you to the top of the pole!" she explained to him.

"Jump to the top of the pole?"

"See that rod sticking out at the top?" said Priscilla, pointing up to the metal bar that hung above them. Cloud nodded. "If you jump just right, you can climb to the top of the town!"

"Good luck, Cloud!" said Barret. "If you make it, we'll follow you!" He was about to turn away and head back to the others, when he suddenly remembered something. "Whoa, I'll hold the PHS for you," he said. "It'll break if it gets wet."

"Sure," said Cloud, unhooking the PHS from his belt and handing it to Barret. He thought for a moment, before he also unhooked his sword and gave it to Barret also. Barret and Priscilla then stepped back and watched as Cloud headed into the water, getting his clothes wet for the second time that day.

The dolphin swam over to him as he entered the water, swimming around him in a playful circle. Once it swam up really close and Cloud touched its sleek, rubbery skin. The dolphin chattered back at him, the large grin forever remaining on its long face. Cloud shook his head, before he blew sharply on the whistle Priscilla had given him. As he did the dolphin dipped beneath the water and out of sight.

Cloud shook his head, wading in the water, and looked up at the pole Priscilla had pointed out to him. He was almost directly beneath it. If he could get up there, it would be quite easy to climb to the top of the town, very easy. Yet he couldn't quite believe that the dolphin would be able to get him up there.

Suddenly Cloud felt something push beneath him and lift him up out of the water for a second, before he dipped down again. Then, with a great big thrust the dolphin pushed up beneath Cloud and leaped into the air towards the pole, carrying Cloud with it. Cloud held onto the dolphin's fin tightly as he was carried all the way up into the air towards the pole.

As they neared the pole, the dolphin bucked its body forward as it prepared to go back down to the water. Cloud quickly drew up his knees and pushed himself away from the dolphin, reaching out for the pole. He was close enough and wrapped his arms around the pole, holding on for dear life as the dolphin fell back down to the water.

Cloud hung above the water, his legs dangling over the side of the pole. He held on tightly and began to pull himself up onto the bar, swinging his legs up onto the bar and clambering on top of it. The bar was just wide enough to hold him safely, and was securely attached to the tower. He waved down to Barret and Priscilla to say he was all right, before he threw the whistle back down to Priscilla. She caught it easily and looked back at him.

Cloud stood up carefully on the pole and began to walk across it to the electric tower. Now he was so high up away from the water he would be safe from the electric current flowing through it, but he would still have to be careful because high-wire electric cables were everywhere. However the only way to the upper city was up the pylon, so Cloud had no choice but to climb the tower.

He started off steadily up the side of the tower, constantly wary of the cables running around him. All it would take would be to touch the cables only slightly, and Cloud would be electrified into a frazzle. Barret and Priscilla watched anxiously from the beach as he climbed. Priscilla clutched tightly onto her whistle and bit her lip, praying with all her heart that Cloud would be all right. After all, Cloud had saved her life.

Cloud eventually reached the top of the electric pylon and came up alongside the high wall of the upper city. He peeked above the rim of the wall first, just to make sure there were no guards around, before he climbed up onto the platform and looked around.

He found himself standing on the edge of a large landing field about the size of a football field. Standing about twenty metres ahead of him was an enormous airship, hovering slightly above the ground with its engine humming quietly on standby. The airfield was positioned slightly higher above the rest of the city, accessible only by taking the cargo platform lift up or down. Cloud was surprised that there were no guards around, but decided to use this to his advantage and headed quickly towards the cargo lift. He pressed down with his foot on the button to make the lift go down, and the lift headed down smoothly towards the buildings below.

Again there were no guards around guarding the entrances to any of the buildings, but even so Cloud headed cautiously towards the nearest building. By now the others would probably be making their way up the tower by now, if they hadn't found another way to the upper city.

"The new President's here!"

Hurriedly Cloud jumped back against the wall of the building he had just been about to walk into. He peered through the open doorway in time to see two Shinra soldiers, clad in their lowly blue uniforms, running through the corridor. They ran past the door and turned the corner, heading through another door and out of sight.

Cloud finally released his breath and entered the building. No he knew why there were so few guards around – they were all in a rush preparing for Rufus's welcoming ceremony. The door the two soldiers had run through probably led to the main part of the town.

"Hey!" came a voice. Cloud jumped and froze solid. After a moment or two he slowly turned his head to look behind him, and saw another Shinra soldier in a red uniform, a whistle in one hand, glaring at him fiercely. "You still dressed like that!?" the soldier snapped. "Come here!"

Cloud stared, confused. The red soldier, who was clearly an officer in rank with his red uniform, ran over towards another door at the other end of the corridor, and kicked the door open with his boot.

"Here!! Get into the room!"

For a second or two Cloud did nothing, quickly thinking over his situation. He was in Shinra territory, without a weapon, and the only Materia he had was the Shiva materia Priscilla had given him. He would stand no chance going against the Shinra without his sword.

Then an idea came to him. If he were going to get anywhere near to Sephiroth, he would have to get past the Shinra as well. If he could somehow walk amongst the Shinra as one of them, then there would be a greater chance of getting across the ocean. After all, he had worked for the Shinra, so he pretty much knew everything. So Cloud turned and nodded silently to the soldier, and followed him into the soldier changing rooms. As they entered the soldier gave Cloud a harsh push towards the lockers.

"Today's the big day when we welcome President Rufus!" he announced. "Hurry up and get changed!"

Cloud stopped by one of the lockers and glared back at the soldier, before he turned and opened one of the lockers beside him. Inside it was a blue soldier uniform – a uniform Cloud knew only too well. It looked just about his size, too.

"It's the Shinra uniform," Cloud muttered. He pulled it out and headed into the changing room out of view of the soldier, and began to put the uniform over the top of his usual clothes. Luckily it was his size and fitted easily over his clothes, even the armour over his shoulder. When he was almost done Cloud picked up the helmet and looked into the shadowed visor at his equally shadowed reflection. "Brings back memories…" he added with a sigh.

"Quit yappin'!" came the red soldier's impatient voice. "Hurry up!"

Cloud shook his head pitifully and continued to look into the helmet visor. "A Shinra uniform…" he said, almost nostalgically. "I was so proud when I first put it on. I wonder when it was…" He shrugged and put the helmet on his head, pushing down the blond spikes temporarily. He looked into the mirror at the whole of his reflection. "…I couldn't wearing this thing anymore," he finished. He pushed the visor down over his face, hiding his glowing eyes, and stepped out of the changing room, picking up a gun from the floor. The red soldier looked him up and down.

"Wow! You look good in it!" he exclaimed. He nodded certainly, before he grew serious again. "You remember the greeting procedure, right!?" Cloud shrugged. Of course he didn't know any greeting procedures. The soldier sighed. "…The look on your face says you forgot. All right, I'll show you again! Do just like we do."

The door to the changing rooms burst open again, and the two blue soldiers Cloud had seen before suddenly ran back into the room. "Commander!!" the two soldiers exclaimed. "We'll help, too!"

"This is how to do it!" one of the soldiers said excitedly.

"We'll sing, too!" the other one added.

"All right! Show 'em!" said the red soldier.

Cloud tilted his head to the side, glad that the visor was hiding the expression that had sprung on his face. Sing? Whilst marching? WHY!? He couldn't figure it out at all, and was in such shock that he almost missed what happened next.

"Now march!!" the first blue soldier commanded. At his command, he and his fellow soldier began to march on the spot by the entrance of the changing room, keeping in perfect time with one another. "This's the Welcoming March!"

"Then! I'll sing along with you!" the other soldier added, again making Cloud's face turn pale and shocked. Yet the soldier didn't seem to care. "Quietly--!! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Hey, come on now! Now!"

Then the two soldiers began to sing and march at the same time, their voices even in time with the beats of their march. Unfortunately they needed one or two extra singing lessons and then some before what they were doing could be classed as singing. Cloud was sure even Barret could sing better than that. He could hardly make out what they were saying, but he was sure he heard the words 'President Rufus' in there at some point. Maybe. While the two soldiers were singing, the red soldier turned to Cloud.

"Keep in step with the soldier next to you and march smoothly!" he explained to him. "Once you're all in step, shoulder your gun! Got it!?"

"All clear!" replied Cloud.

The soldier sighed with relief. "Good! Make sure you do well at the parade!" He was interrupted as the door opened yet again, and a third blue-uniformed soldier ran into the room.

"Rufus has arrived! Preparation completed!" he announced. The two soldiers stopped their march instantly and tore out of the room on the double, along with the third soldier. The red soldier nodded and turned again to Cloud.

"All right, show time!" he announced formerly. "Don't disgrace yourselves!"

Cloud saluted at the soldier, and they ran out of the changing room and down the corridor, taking the last door out towards the town. Cloud looked down at the gun in his hands as he ran, praying he knew just what he was getting into.


	35. Part 03: Chapter 35

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**

_There was a little problem with this part of the script. Whenever I play the scene of getting into line in the parade, I always seem to be out of sync, so I don't know if the TV scene is different if you get it perfectly. Thus you are getting my version. Well, I suppose it gives a little bit of humour, I suppose._

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

The streets of Upper Junon were very busy as the final preparations for the Welcoming Parade were put into place. Several squadrons of Shinra soldiers had gathered on the main road that ran around the front of the town, continuously practicing their drilling as they waited for the parade to begin. The team leaders were bawling out orders at them, blowing harshly on their whistles with each order.

As they were practicing a helicopter flew overhead, heading down towards the town centre as it scanned the streets for signs of trouble. As far as the helicopter was concerned the streets were clear from trouble, for it was blind to see the activities that went on without it knowing. So the soldiers continued to practice in safety, until a blue soldier ran up from down the street and up to the leading squadron at the beginning of the long line of squadrons.

"Begin the Welcome Parade!" the soldier shouted as he ran up.

The leading red soldier nodded and turned to his squadron, giving a long, sharp blow on his whistle. The whistle echoed all the way down the road, and more whistles from the other squadron leaders began to ring all the way down the line. All at once the drilling soldiers fell silent and came to attention, awaiting the order to begin.

Once the order had been given the parade began, and it was clear from the start how much effort they had put in to make this parade a true spectacle. The streets were alive in colour as banners hung from buildings and across the roads, brightly coloured confetti was thrown into the air, and balloons were released into the sky as the parade passed the many dozens of people that had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the new Shinra president.

Heidegger was leading the parade, walking in front of the parade car as it drove slowly through the streets. Rufus was standing up in the back of the car, waving to the people who were cheering back at him. More confetti was thrown into the air as the President passed by, and all in all Rufus looked very smug and superior as he drove on further through the streets. After the parade car at last came the soldiers, marching in groups behind the car, their guns positioned on their shoulders as they marched perfectly onward.

Back in the parade square, Cloud and his group of soldiers had only just arrived to see that the entire square was empty of all soldiers.

"Oh… no…!!" the red soldier exclaimed in horror, lifting up the visor of his helmet. "No one's here! Late…?" He snapped the visor back down and turned to Cloud angrily. "Hey, Rookie! We're late 'cause you're running around like that!" Cloud stopped walking and shrugged dismissively back at him. The red soldier was about to reprimand him, when one of the blue soldiers quickly interrupted him.

"Captain!! We'll take a shortcut!"

The red soldier nodded. "Right! Good idea." He turned back to the other soldiers and Cloud. "Get over here!!" he called, and all the soldiers began to run down the main road towards an alley that lay a little further down. The Shinra officer stopped by the entrance and signalled for the others to go on ahead. "All right! You first!" he said as the soldiers went past. When they were all through he went down.

The alley came out right into the middle of the parade between the groups of people that had gathered in the street. Right then the soldiers were passing by in their grouped teams, marching with pride behind the parade car. Cloud and the one remaining blue soldier stood just at the entrance of the alley as the groups marched by. One group was approaching them with a gap in the back line. The blue soldier spotted it and turned to Cloud.

"I'll got first!" he said. "Just watch and do as I do, Rookie. Just sneak into the back of the line when you see an opening, okay?"

Cloud watched as the soldier turned back to the parade and lifted his gun up to his shoulder ready. As the squadron passed them by, the soldier quickly dashed into the road and ran to the back of the line. He slipped easily into the gap and quickly got in step, marching onwards past the crowds without them even noticing that he hadn't been there before. Cloud stepped out of the alley and shrugged.

"Now listen up!" Cloud turned in surprise to see the officer standing behind him. "This parade's gonna be broadcast live on Shinra TV, around the world!" he said harshly. "If you look bad, the whole Junon army will look bad. Remember that and don't screw up!" He peered out of the alley and back down the parade, trying to spot a squadron with a missing soldier. One was just approaching them, and he gave Cloud a gentle push to the street. "OK! Jump in when I give you the sign! And sneak in from the back. Don't mess up the row! And no matter what you do, don't try to go in from the front! All right!! Start marching!!"

Cloud did as he was told and began to march on the spot, feeling like a complete dork marching in the middle of the street. He prayed none of the others were watching him. The Shinra officer continued to look out of the alley until the squadron was close enough.

"Charge--!!" he commanded.

Immediately Cloud marched forward past the people gathered in the street, who were paying too much attention to the parade to notice him slipping by. He then marched into the road towards the back of the squadron, and quickly dashed round to the back of the line just as they began to pass the cameras that were filming them as they marched on by. Cloud tried to lift his gun up onto his shoulder, but the strap of the gun was entangled in his arm, and he struggled to get it free.

One of the soldiers looked at Cloud angrily as he struggled with the strap of his gun, especially since now they were in full view of the cameras and they would be filming every second of it. A few citizens giggled in the streets as they watched Cloud finally release the strap of his gun and position it on his shoulder. Even so the cameras had caught everything, and that scene would be broadcast all over the world. Cloud didn't mind too much though. At least the mess up would make Shinra look bad.

It worked, too. Up in the TV station that was monitoring the viewing ratings of the parade, the TV Producer and his AD had seen every bit of Cloud's accidental mess up.

"What the heck was that soldier doing?" the producer asked as he watched the squadron walk on by.

"I don't know," replied the AD.

"Are the points up?"

The AD looked down at the point ratings on his screen and swallowed nervously. "This is terrible!" he exclaimed, watching as the number of people watching on his screen went drastically down, thanks to the mess up. "Am… am I fired?"

The TV Producer leaned over and saw the number continuing to drop. "What!?" he cried. "You're FIRED!!" He threw his clipboard down onto the floor fiercely. "Send that soldier a bomb or something!"

Back in Junon, the main part of the parade had come to an end, and a selected team of soldiers were giving a drilling presentation in front of Rufus and Heidegger. Rufus was watching with interest as the soldiers performed their skills for him, shifting their guns and turning to their commander's orders. Heidegger, on the other hand, was not at all impressed, and was scowling intensely.

Cloud and the red Shinra soldier ran up from the back of the road, and came to a stop near the drilling squadron. "Good! We made it," the Shinra officer said with relief. He peered up over the top of the squadron, and quickly ducked back down. "Oh! President Rufus!" He looked around nervously, until he finally glared at Cloud. "Hey! Line up and shut up! Don't make a move!"

He gave Cloud yet another harsh push towards the squadron, and Cloud quietly snuck in and stood in the middle of the group. He did absolutely nothing as the other soldiers continued to drill around him, although luckily their movements shielded his inactivity from Rufus. Moments later the performance finally came to an end, and the squadron came to a stop. The officer in charge then turned to Rufus and saluted.

"How's the job?" asked Rufus as Heidegger also turned to him. Without a reply Rufus sighed heavily and turned away towards the lift that led to the other side of the town. He looked around, confused, and then turned back. "What happened to the airship?" he asked.

"The long range airship is still being prepared," Heidegger replied. "It should be ready in about three more days. Gya haa haa!"

"Even the Air Force's Gelnika?" Rufus asked. Heidegger laughed again, and Rufus looked at him irritably. "Stop that stupid horse laugh," he commanded. "Things are different than when father was in charge." Heidegger slowly stopped laughing and stood frozen to the spot. Rufus sighed again. "Is the ship ready?"

"Yes sir, we'll get it ready quickly," Heidegger replied, his voice quiet.

Rufus then turned away and headed towards the lift. Once he had turned away Heidegger spun round and ran to the group of soldiers lined up in front of them. He began to beat them angrily out of sheer frustration, and each one of them flinched and shook in fright. Heidegger then punched Cloud, who didn't move. He glared at Cloud and hit him again, and then again. Each time Cloud did not move a muscle, and just took Heidegger's abuse. The lift started up then, and Heidegger turned and ran to it, climbing inside and leaving the soldiers behind. The moment Heidegger disappeared through the open doorway the lift headed up towards the town again, and the soldiers finally relaxed and gathered in a circle around Cloud.

"What a disaster," one of the blue soldiers commented.

"Heidegger was really irritated," said another.

"The man in the Black Cape's been roaming the city, but we can't find him," another one said.

That caught Cloud's attention. "Man in a Black Cape?" he asked.

A fourth soldier nodded. "He showed up two or three days ago and killed a few of our soldiers," he said.

"He disappeared right after that," a fifth one said. "There's a rumour going around that it was Sephiroth."

Cloud listened to their words. It made sense. Sephiroth could have first arrived in Junon two or three days ago on his way to Midgar to kill the President – former President – of Shinra, and to release Jenova. Did that mean that Sephiroth had been hiding on the other continent until then? For five years? So now was Sephiroth going back across the ocean to continue his search for the Promised Land?

"Attention!" the officer commanded suddenly. "Dismissed!"

The group of soldiers broke up and spread out away from Cloud, heading back to their changing rooms now that their job of welcoming the president was over. Only Cloud remained where he was, still lost in his thought. The officer looked at Cloud angrily, and marched up to him.

"Hey! Hey you!" he snapped, and Cloud looked at him. "You messing with the army?"

Cloud frowned. He didn't like the soldier's superior attitude. "What if I am?" he asked in reply. The officer scowled back at him, and Cloud longed to knock at superior smug off his shielded face.

"You're too lazy!!" the officer told him. "No break for you!! Get over here!"

He took Cloud back to the changing rooms at the airfield again. As they entered the room the officer slammed the door shut, but Cloud didn't jump. The stuck-up soldier didn't at all intimidate him. Cloud figured he was probably just another one of those soldiers that were always trying to assert more authority than they actually held.

"This is the military, soldier!!" the officer said to him in a loud, commanding voice. "Your orders for today are to send of President Rufus at the dock!" He turned to Cloud and grinned slyly. "I'll keep drilling you until it's time!" The door to the changing rooms opened and once again the same two blue soldiers ran into the room, still as enthusiastic as ever.

"I'll help, sir!" the first blue soldier said.

"Me too, sir!" said the other. Cloud could only stare at them. What was it with these two that they kept popping up everywhere? He prayed they wouldn't sing this time.

"All right!!" the officer said. "Line up in order and show me your final pose! Today's command is Formation! Remember it!" The two soldiers lined up beside one another, and the officer held his whistle close to his mouth. "Ready!? Junon Military Send Off, BEGIN!" He then blew on his whistle.

The two soldiers began to turn and raise their guns in time to the officer's commands, each of which were followed by sharp blows from the whistle. After a minute of that the whistling began to hurt Cloud's ears, but at least he was picking up quickly on the orders as they were belted out. Cloud was very relieved when the drill came to an end, although he could still hear the whistle ringing in his ears. The officer turned to him.

"All right!" the officer said. "Now you try it!"

Before Cloud could even prepare himself the officer blew hard on the whistle, followed quickly by the first order. Cloud barely had time to lift his gun up by the time the next order was given and he had to turn around. The officer continued to shout out orders at him, trying to catch Cloud out with unexpected and quick orders. Yet Cloud was able to keep in time with him, just about, and didn't make a single mistake throughout the practice. Eventually the officer blew hard on the whistle to signal the end of the drill and nodded slowly at Cloud, slightly impressed.

"I've got it!" exclaimed Cloud.

"All right!" the officer said. "Don't mess up during the real thing!"

"Commander!!" called one of the blue soldiers. "What's today's special pose?"

The officer stopped and thought for a moment, tapping his foot on the ground. "Huh? …I haven't decided yet," he admitted. He looked down a little more, before his gaze lifted to Cloud and he smiled. "All right, rookie!! I'll let you decide! Show me your best move!"

Cloud thought for a moment. "Let's see… My best move is…" He clenched his left fist and raised it up to the air twice, before lifting his gun with his other hand and spinning it round above his head, finishing it off by putting the gun over his shoulder and behind his back. The soldiers all stared in awe as he finished.

"Woo----ow!" one of them exclaimed.

"That's awesome!" said the other.

"All right!!" the officer said, bringing them back to reality. "We'll go with that as today's special!! Practise it!"

"Yes sir!" the soldiers said excitedly, and immediately began to practice Cloud's complex move. Cloud watched them as they practiced – they weren't too bad at it, he figured. The officer watched them as well, before he looked at his watch.

"Well then! Meet at the dock!! Don't be late!!" he ordered them. "Attention! Dismissed!!"

At his command the soldiers all dispersed from the changing room and headed back onto the main road to rush for the docks. Cloud went with them – the closer to the docks he was the easier it would be to sneak on board and get across the continent. Even as he ran after the soldiers, he began to think about the others. He hoped that they had somehow managed to sneak through the Shinra without getting caught.

The road was empty now that the parade was over, and the soldiers ran quickly passed the dimly lit buildings and shops to get to the docks before the send off began. Cloud nearly stopped at one point as they passed one building, for he spotted a familiar figure walking up to the door. It was Rude of the Turks. Rude looked over as he and the other soldiers ran on past, but he didn't recognise Cloud through the Shinra uniform, and went into the building and out of sight, and the soldiers ran on.

They had to cross the lifts to get to the other side of the town, but once they had crossed it was easy running to the end of the road where the large Shinra ship was standing, waiting to set sail across the ocean. The back of the ship was open and waiting, with a single blue soldier guarding its entrance. The Shinra officer ran up in front of the ship and turned as Cloud and the other soldiers ran up and got in line in front of him, ready for the send off.

"All right, it's time!" he announced.

"President Rufus… has now arrived!" called the blue soldier.

Cloud looked through the shadow of his visor as Rufus and Heidegger walked out of the hangar and onto the docks. Rufus had a very serious expression on his face, which was probably why Heidegger had been looking and acting so edgy during the parade.

"Ten… HUT!" commanded the officer. The three soldiers in front of him immediately came to attention. Rufus stopped near to them and watched. "This is it!!" the officer whispered sharply to his soldiers. "Junon Military Reception---!! Do it right--! Do it with enthusiasm…! Ready…"

He blew on his whistle and the demonstration began. The officer barked out his orders, and the two soldiers obeyed them with immense enthusiasm, and even Cloud tried his best, even if it was just to prevent Rufus and Heidegger becoming suspicious. As they drilled Cloud's gaze wandered over to the ship's entrance, where he was sure he'd seen a flash of movement, if just for a second. His attention was brought back to the drill as the officer barked out his last order, the order for their final pose. All at once Cloud and the two soldiers performed the pose, until coming to a finish. The Shinra officer then turned round and saluted to Rufus, before they all stood at ease in front of the president. Rufus stepped forward towards them and clapped, clearly impressed.

"Well done," he said to them. "Keep up the good work for Shinra, Inc." Heidegger then walked forward to each of the soldiers in turn, whispering something in their ears and giving them a little something. He stopped in front of Cloud.

"Gya haa haa…!!" he laughed. "Here's a special bonus for you!! A token of the President's kindness! Don't forget it!!" He then dropped a small bag of gil into Cloud's hands, and Cloud smirked underneath his visor. He watched silently as Rufus then turned away and stepped up onto the ship, Heidegger right behind him, but Cloud could still hear what they were saying.

"Once the word gets out that Sephiroth's here, Cloud and his friends will show up, too," Rufus said to Heidegger quietly.

"We'll crush them as soon as soon as we find them!" Heidegger assured him.

Rufus looked at Heidegger closely. "We can't have them get in our way," he said sternly.

Heidegger swallowed nervously, and nodded his head. "Leave it up to me, sir! Gya haa haa!" Again Rufus glared at Heidegger irritably.

"I thought I told you to stop that stupid laugh…" he repeated, and Heidegger immediately stopped laughing.

Without another word Rufus walked off and into the ship, passing the large pile of crates that had been loaded on board for the journey across the ocean. Once the president was safely inside Heidegger turned and signalled to the soldiers in the hangar before following the president inside and out of sight. Moments later the loud booming of the ship's horn could be heard in the air as the ship made its final preparations before setting sail.

"All right! Dismissed!!" the officer called.

All at once Cloud and the other soldiers were finally able to relax. After all the standing and drilling and marching and singing, their arms and legs were aching terribly. Yet they couldn't help but feel somewhat energised as well after being applauded by the new president, and even given a bonus because of it. Still they were glad it was all over, and they were able to relax.

"That was close," the first blue soldier said, sighing with relief.

"Heidegger's been really edgy lately," said the second.

"Because Hojo disappeared leaving a letter of resignation," the first explained.

"Heidegger's been forced to take care of that investigation, too," said the second.

"Hey--!" the officer snapped at them. "I thought you were dismissed!" The two blue soldiers jumped about half a metre in the air and quickly ran off back to the hanger, leaving the officer behind with Cloud. "We got some cleaning up to do!" he said. "Hurry up!" He then ran off into the hanger, leaving Cloud behind.

Cloud waited until all of the soldiers on the dock had left and run back inside, before he finally relaxed and sighed heavily. By now the gun was heavy in his hands, and he longed to take off the helmet and get some fresh air for a change. Being in the uniform was beginning to make him feel sick to his stomach, and he couldn't wait to get out of it and back into his usual clothes again. He ignored the sickening feeling in his stomach and headed towards the ship, keeping an eye out for any soldiers.

"Hey, hurry. You're the last one."

Cloud jumped in surprise and looked towards the crates piled near the entrance. He leaned in closer and Red XIII walked out quietly from behind the crates where he had been hiding. So it was Red XIII he had seen moving behind the crates when he had been drilling – it wasn't his imagination.

"How did you get here?" Cloud asked him.

"A dolphin gave me a ride," Red XIII replied. He looked around either end of the ship, just making sure that there was no one else listening. "Priscilla remembered the dolphin after you climbed the pole. But, you mustn't be mad at her."

Cloud shrugged dismissively and shook his head. It didn't really matter how they all got up to the upper city, as long as they were all safely on board and out of view of the Shinra. Even so he would have loved to see Red XIII trying to get up on the dolphin's back.

He then stepped up onto the ship and stood beside Red XIII, looking out at the docks one last time. As they waited the ship's engine then hummed into life, and the gentle roar of the working parts could be heard echoing beneath them. The doors then began to scrape and rise up off the docks, sealing Cloud and Red XIII inside the Shinra ship.

"We'll cross the ocean, to the new continent…" said Cloud as the doors closed. "Even if we are wearing Shinra uniforms…"


	36. Part 03: Chapter 36

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

It wasn't too long before everything was finally ready and the Junon Cargo Ship finally set sail and headed off across the waters that would lead them to the other continent. It left behind Junon and Midgar far behind, and it within twenty to thirty minutes of sailing the continent could no longer be seen, and the only thing that surrounded the boat was ocean, carrying the Shinra and passengers that were hidden beneath its decks.

Heidegger and Rufus were completely unaware of the presence of Cloud and his friends on board the ship, believing they had left them far behind on the continent they had just left. Little did they know that they were in fact on that very ship with them, walking around freely amongst the rest of the crew as though they were part of the Shinra themselves.

Cloud eventually stepped out from behind the crates, reluctantly clipping his helmet back into place, but at least he'd been able to sit without it for a while, and kept the visor up. They'd been sailing for a good while now, but it would still be a good while before the other continent came into view and they could go ashore. Even though Red XIII had gone off in his own disguise, Cloud decided it would be a good idea to check up on the others and make sure they were all doing all right in blending in with the Shinra.

Yuffie was the first person he spotted, probably because she was so easy to recognise. She was standing between a pile of crates near to where Cloud was, bent over and her head hidden, making a very peculiar growling and groaning sound. As Cloud walked over to her he immediately saw what was wrong with her – her face was sickly pale and her hands were trembling. She spotted Cloud nearby and looked at him, before looking away again. Cloud looked on in sympathy. Travel sickness truly was a terrible thing to have, and terrible to combat once it started.

"Urrrgh…" she groaned, putting a hand on her stomach. "This is why… I hate ships. Hey, Cloud. You have any 'Tranquillisers'?"

Cloud shook his head. "Nope."

"Ugh, you don't have any?" Yuffie said. She turned back to the looking at the floor. "…Unless it's an emergency, get away from me," she told him harshly. "Where are the others? I dunno. Aren't they hiding somewhere around here? How should I know? Ugh… urk……"

Even as she fell down onto her knees on the verge of throwing up onto the ship floor, she continued to mumble to herself almost deliriously. The travel sickness was really getting to her head. Cloud knew why it was affecting her so bad – it was because she didn't have anything to do to keep her mind occupied and off the movement of the ship as it travelled over the water. If there was something for her to do other than sit and complain about how ill she felt, she would probably be fine.

Cloud left Yuffie to her travel sickness and continued to look for the others. He had to make sure he didn't look too suspicious as he headed down through the lower decks, but as he did go on he soon figured out that he would have a problem. A lot of the people wandering around were dressed the same as he was in Shinra uniforms, and with the visors down it would be impossible to tell if any of the others were in disguise or not. He spotted one Shinra soldier heading cautiously towards him, and Cloud prepared to snap the visor down before they could see him clearly.

"Umm… It's me, Aeris," the soldier said suddenly. Cloud stopped, his hand already on the visor panel. He recognised that voice. Sure enough, as the soldier lifted the visor, Cloud saw Aeris hidden behind it, looking at him almost sheepishly. She looked equally relieved to see Cloud. "Hey, Cloud. Did you see the Airship at Junon?"

Cloud nodded. "…I heard it was big, but I didn't expect it to be THAT big."

"That was REALLY something," Aeris said, her eyes looking dreamy for a moment. "Hey, do you think I could get on it?"

Cloud nodded positively. "I'll take you someday… keep hoping," he told her.

"Wow!" Aeris exclaimed. She suddenly realised how loud she had yelled and quickly covered her mouth, her eyes darting round to see if she had attracted anyone's attention. When she was she no one was looking, she lowered her voice to an excited whisper. "I'm really looking forward to it! Let's ride on the Airship together, okay? Promise, promise me!"

The way she begged him to promise her made Cloud remember the way Tifa had made him promise, all those years ago, back in Nibelheim. In fact there were a lot of similarities between Aeris and Tifa, when he thought about it. Both of them ran into danger when there wasn't a real need for them to, like when Tifa joined him and Barret on the AVALANCHE mission to destroy the No. 5 reactor, and how Aeris followed them all the way to Sector 7 and ended up getting caught by the Shinra.

Cloud and Aeris then parted ways, Aeris continuing her 'patrol' of the lower decks to stop herself from arousing suspicion. There was only one room connected to the cargo room, but a soldier Cloud figured was NOT one of his friends guarded that room. With nowhere else to look on the lower decks Cloud headed up the stairs to the upper deck.

The sea air was extremely refreshing, and the sickening uncomfortable feeling Cloud had felt whilst wearing the almost suffocating visor disappeared in the salty breeze. Cloud stayed by the door for a moment, breathing in the clear air. He leaned over the side of the deck and looked out, but all he could see was water both to the front and to the back of the ship.

Cloud stepped away from the deck and looked around for Tifa, Barret and Red XIII. Most of the people on this deck were actual sailors and not Shinra soldiers, and looking around Cloud couldn't see any of the others disguised as sailors.

At that moment his helmet gave a loud crack, and the sound rang through Cloud's ears. He turned in surprise as a small rock fell onto the floor behind him from where it had hit. Looking up Cloud saw a Shinra soldier standing on the top of the lookout tower beside him, looking down at him. At least, it looked like a Shinra soldier, until the soldier gave him a quick wave and signalled him to come up. Cloud climbed up the ladder towards the soldier, who came to attention and saluted him.

"Yes, sir!" came a female voice from behind the visor. "Everything quiet, sir!" Cloud smiled as he recognised Tifa's voice. "…But you know what?" she asked him. "I really hate this uniform. Uniform, soldiers, war. I hate 'em all. They take away all the things and people you love… I wish they'd all disappear. Right, Cloud?"

Cloud nodded slowly. "Yeah……" he told her. It was a nice thought – to have a world without the need for war. Yet somehow he figured that wouldn't happen in the near future. Still, it comforted Tifa somewhat.

"You're right!" she said. She looked around and then saluted at him again. "Uh, yes sir! I'll continue my watch, sir! Hee hee…"

Cloud saluted back at her and smiled, before heading back down the ladder towards the deck again. There was only Barret and Red XIII left to find now, and it was Barret he was most concerned about finding more than Red XIII, who would have the most difficulty in disguising himself on the ship. Who knew what Barret could be doing, on a ship filled with Shinra?

He soon spotted Red XIII, and Cloud had to stop himself from bursting out laughing. Red XIII was dressed as a Shinra soldier and was standing on the deck just outside the president's cabin. He was actually standing up on his two hind legs, trying to walk just like a human on those hind legs, but he was finding it difficult. Even as Cloud watched he was wobbling across from one side of the deck to the other, trying his hardest to stay upright. His tail was also a pain to hide, and was sticking out of the back of the uniform. Luckily, no one was taking any notice.

"………… It's me, Red XIII," Red XIII said as Cloud wandered up, trying just as hard to keep the smile off his face. Red XIII looked down at himself and his wobbly form. "I'm a little woozy, but I shouldn't get caught," he said. "Humans only look at appearances anyway. Anyway you look at it, I'd say I make a fine human being." He staggered a little and almost fell over, but just about managed to stay upright. "It's pretty hard standing on two feet…"

Cloud left Red XIII and began to search for Barret, but he was nowhere to be seen on the upper decks. He even checked with Tifa again, but she hadn't seen him anywhere since they snuck aboard the ship during the parade. With nowhere else to look Cloud went back down to the lower decks, wondering if he had missed Barret on his way up. If Barret couldn't be found that was a major problem.

The moment he came back down to the lower decks Aeris ran to him. "Hey, Cloud," she said, her voice anxious. "Did you see Barret?" The look on Cloud's face told her the answer, and she shook her head. "I hope he's not doing something stupid…"

Cloud was just as worried as she was. Barret's temper was so volatile where the Shinra were concerned, and they didn't really want to make their presence known to the Shinra on a ship while it was in the middle of nowhere. He left Aeris and moved back to the upper decks, becoming increasingly concerned as to where Barret was. There was only one place on the ship he hadn't checked, and that was right at the front of the ship.

As Cloud walked as casually as he could to the front of the ship, he quickly spotted Barret. He was dressed in a sailor's outfit, and he looked very out of place, especially with his gun-arm in the way. He was standing by the window of the president's cabin, peeking through at Heidegger and Rufus as they stood talking in the middle of the cabin, in plain view of Barret. Barret heard Cloud approaching and spun round, his arm ready, but when he saw it was Cloud he relaxed and gestured to the window.

"Look, Cloud," he said harshly, and Cloud recognised the familiar tone of hatred in his voice that Priscilla had. "It's Rufus and Heidegger. They're this close but we can't do a thing to 'em…"

Cloud walked up beside Barret and looked through with him. He could see Heidegger talking to Rufus. He suddenly laughed heartily, despite Rufus's clear irritation. The moment Heidegger began to laugh Barret's face fumed until it was purple, hardly able to contain his rage.

"Ummmm…… Gmmmmm……" he snarled under his breath as he glared at Heidegger's fat, laughing mug. "How can he…… Goin' off laughin' like that? Because of him, Biggs…… Wedge…… Jessie……!" He growled fiercely. Suddenly he turned round and ran to the edge of the boat, shaking his fist angrily. "God!!" he yelled. "I can't take it anymore! I'm gonna settle things here and now……"

Cloud was about to protest to Barret when all of a sudden an alarm began to ring loudly on every inch of the ship. The alarm rang loud and clear, making everyone on the ship freeze to the spot and fall silent. Moments later a voice began to boom out over the speakers, just over the sound of the alarm.

"Emergency alert! Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat. Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"

Rufus and Heidegger left the cabin immediately after the alarm sounded, Rufus being ushered off to a safer area of the ship. With them gone Barret and Cloud around anxiously as the alarm continued to sound around them, wondering if they had somehow been spotted despite their efforts.

"Damn, did they find us!?" Barret demanded. He stopped for a moment and scratched his head, thinking about what the alarm had said. "Hey, that don't seem like us," he said. "Do they mean… Tifa and the others!?" He jumped up and turned to Cloud. "Get off your spiky butt and let's go, Cloud!"

The two turned and dashed off back to the main part of the upper deck. They were surprised to find all of the ship personnel gone, they were probably all on the lower decks searching for the suspicious character. One thing they did notice however, were that the others were all running onto the upper decks, and they all met up in the centre of the deck.

"Everyone all right!?" called Tifa.

"You all right!?" said Barret in turn.

They all fell silent for a moment as they looked around at one another. Each and every one of them was present and correct, even Yuffie, who had managed to pry herself away from her travelsick corner during the commotion.

"Huh?" Aeris asked, confused.

"Everyone's here… right?" asked Tifa.

"Hey, wait," Barret said suddenly, a realisation coming to mind. "You don't think that suspicious character is… Sephiroth!?"

Tifa jumped. "Really!?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know!?" Barret demanded angrily.

"…Let's find out," said Cloud.

One by one everyone turned and looked at him. If Sephiroth was indeed aboard the ship, then the lives of everyone aboard could be in danger, and anyone who did find him would surely be killed. That chilling thought sent shivers down everyone's spines, and they were filled with a cold dread. Until then they had just been chasing Sephiroth, but now the thought that now they were within reach of him… It scared them just a little bit.

"It's the most logical thing to do," Red XIII said, breaking the silence that had spread amongst them.

Even so, Yuffie backed off a little away from them. "N, not me…" she stammered nervously, shaking her head fiercely. "I don't even like Sephiroth anyway. And besid……ugh……urk……" Everyone watched as she covered her mouth again, before she suddenly turned and ran to the edge of the deck, finally giving in to her sickness and throwing up over the side of the ship. Cloud looked down and shook his head, when Tifa suddenly walked forward towards him.

"Take me with you!" she said to him fearlessly. She gave Cloud a smile, trying hard not to let the fear break through.

"I'm goin' too!" Barret announced, raising his gun high.

Red XIII also stepped forward. "These clothes are too tight on me," he said. "Can I switch with you?"

Cloud nodded and looked around as Aeris also stepped forward. That was pretty much everyone. It looked like they were going to face Sephiroth after all. They hurriedly discarded their Shinra disguises, everyone glad to be finally out of the stifling uniforms, and headed towards the open door leading to the lower decks. Cloud stopped for a moment and looked back at Yuffie, who was still hanging over the bar looking into the water. Shaking his head he walked over to her, grabbed her by the back of her shirt, and dragged her with him towards the lower deck, ignoring her pleas for him to stop.

As they descended down the stairs towards the lower decks, they noticed that it was unusually quiet. There was no sign of Rufus or Heidegger – in fact there was no sign of any of the ship's crew. Apart from the gentle hum of the engine and other engine sounds, there were in fact no other sounds to be heard throughout the whole ship.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and immediately saw the reason for the eerie silence. In front of them and all around them there were soldiers and sailors strewn everywhere, thrown aside like rag dolls across the crates and over the metal floor. Tifa immediately ran forward to the nearest soldier lying close to the bottom of the stairs and knelt beside him. His visor was smashed and glass had cut into his face, but as Tifa checked his neck for a pulse she gave a sigh of relief. Most of the soldiers and sailors weren't dead, thankfully, although they were badly wounded. They would probably pull through, which was a relief.

Barret moved passed the injured soldiers towards the crates, and pulled off the lid of one of them. Tifa helped him as he delved into the crate and pulled out their weapons, which had been stored in there out of sight for safekeeping. Cloud's sword, Aeris's staff, Yuffie's Shuriken, all of the weapons were safe. The three took their weapons gladly, and then turned towards the door leading to the Engine Room, and passed through.

The moment they passed through the doors into the engine room they immediately felt a strong sense of evil hanging in the air. There were more soldiers lying either dead or unconscious on the upper levels, leaving the engine completely unattended. There was but one soldier left standing at the far end of the engine room, looking away from Cloud and the others as they entered and staring at the wall.

"Is it… Sephiroth?" Cloud said aloud, his voice seeming out of place in the silence.

As the echo of his voice reverberated off the walls and began to fade, the solitary soldier slowly turned and faced them. His face was blank and expressionless, his eyes empty, and with a single line of blood tricking from the corner of his mouth. The others watched as he then fell forward helplessly onto his knees and then face down onto the floor. He was already dead.

Cloud shook his head in disbelief. "No… Not Sephiroth!"

"……After a long sleep… …the time…… time has…… come…"

All at once everyone jumped and turned their heads round and round, looking around the room for the source of the unknown voice. The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once, with nothing to indicate where it might have come from. They looked round and round, until Aeris suddenly pointed straight ahead of them to where the soldier had fallen.

"Look, Cloud!!"

Everyone turned and looked ahead to where Aeris was pointing. As they watched the floor around where the soldier had fallen began to ripple and waver slightly, and a shadowy figure slowly began to rise up from beneath it.

The moment Cloud laid eyes on that figure he felt his blood boiling inside him. It may have been five years, but he would recognise Sephiroth anywhere. He hadn't changed one bit since Cloud had last seen him, apart from the fact that his green eyes seemed tired and heavy as he hovered in the air ahead of him, his head lowered to look at the ground. Sephiroth slowly lifted his head, seeming almost weary, and looked at the group through tired eyes.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud exclaimed. "You're alive!"

Sephiroth blinked sleepily and peered closely at Cloud without even a flicker of recognition appearing in his eyes. Looking back into those same eyes, Cloud could feel the rage rising in him. It was the exact same rage that Barret felt whenever he thought about the Shinra, the same rage Priscilla felt when she thought about what the Shinra had done to the port town of Junon and its once beautiful waters. Locking gazes with Sephiroth brought back all that rage and hatred, as well as the painful memories that went with them. He could almost feel the heat of the flames again, but that was just his blood boiling in his veins. Yet with all that rage and anger, it couldn't prepare him for what Sephiroth was about to ask him.

"……Who are you?" he asked.

Cloud shook his head in complete disbelief. "You don't remember me!?" he asked back fiercely, unable to believe what he was hearing. How could he, just how could he, after all that had happened back in Nibelheim, forget who he was? His fist tightened around the handle of his sword. "I'm Cloud!"

"Cloud…" Sephiroth repeated. He looked down at the ground again and closed his eyes. The name didn't seem to strike a chord with him, but he seemed so drowsy at that particular moment that it wasn't a surprise that he couldn't remember Cloud immediately.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled at him angrily, trying to get through to Sephiroth. "What are you thinking!? What are you doing!?"

Sephiroth didn't answer him, and ignored his question. Instead he began to breathe in deeply, slowly lifting his head to look up at the ceiling of the engine room. His tired eyes seemed to brighten up a little as he breathed in, the air finally waking him up to everything that was around him. It was as though he was just waking up from his 'long sleep', and finally beginning to take notice.

"…The time…… is now…" he said. Even his voice seemed awake now.

"What!? What are you saying!?" Cloud demanded, fed up with Sephiroth's nonsense. "Be more – "

He never had the chance to say anymore, because very suddenly Sephiroth flew forward with amazing speed. He zipped right past Cloud and the others with such surprising force that they were all knocked back from the sheer impact alone. Without even pausing Sephiroth turned and flew upwards towards the ceiling away from them. A bright flash followed as he neared the top of the engine room, and something dropped down towards them. Sephiroth then disappeared, leaving the group alone with the item he had dropped.

It looked somewhat like a tentacle or an arm of sorts, covered in thick flesh and seeming to have been cut from something. It was also alive, for just as the group began to climb to their feet the tentacle suddenly began to swish and flip around the floor with a mind of its own. It slowly flipped back and forth like a fish out of water, and Yuffie and Aeris were forced to back up against the wall as it slid slowly over towards them.

"That smell…" said Red XIII as he sniffed the air. He shook his head and glared furiously at the tentacle. "It is an evil smell."

Barret cautiously stood up and headed over towards the tentacle as it flopped about the floor, his gun-arm raised and ready to shoot the thing if it made any other sudden movements. As he drew closer to it Cloud began to feel a sense of apprehension and dread, as though he could feel the wicked vibes that were radiating from it. Red XIII was right. It was evil. In a flash of realisation so strong it felt as though he had been hit by a truck, Cloud suddenly looked up at Barret.

"Barret! Get back!!!" he yelled.

Barret jumped away just in time and fell against the wall. At that very moment when Cloud had called out to him, the thick, fleshy skin that covered the tentacle suddenly burst open without warning and unleashed several beams of purple-black light. Dark blood began to ooze thickly from the wound and spread slowly across the floor into a large puddle.

The skin seemed to come alive on its own, beginning to open up and unfold of its own free will. Its fleshy complexion suddenly began to bubble and burn, as though acid had been poured on it. The burning released a powerful stench into the air, and hot steam began to rise up and shroud the tentacle from view. The cloud grew taller and taller until it reached the ceiling, and a tall silhouette appeared within it. The silhouette had a large, bulky body, with a small head that turned back and forth in the cloud of steam. It finally locked its shadowy gaze on Cloud.

Cloud had been gripping onto the handle of his sword right then, watching with anger as the shadow began to rise in the steam. Yet as he felt the shadowed gaze of the creature lock gazes with him, Cloud felt an instant of hesitation. His blood ran cold only for a moment, feeling like a wave of pins and needles spreading across his body and making it ache – the sense of pure evil that radiated from this creature was incredible. Even so it lasted only a moment, and Cloud narrowed his eyes, unafraid.


	37. Part 03: Chapter 37

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

The steam finally began to thin and disperse, slowly revealing the creature that had been born from the acidic mist. Its shadow became a visible form that sent powerful waves of evil throughout the air, standing well over ten feet tall so that the top of its body nearly touched the ceiling of the engine room.

It was clear from its overall appearance that it was no ordinary monster. They had never seen a creature like it before. Its body was made up of thick, rubbery skin that was deformed and disjointed with no real correlation. It had elongated shoulders that stretched out wider than humanely possible, the ends spreading like spider webs tipped with tentacles that curled round like claws. It had but one tentacle-like arm – the other looked like it had been ferociously torn off to leave but a few long strands of loose flesh that wriggled round of their own free will. Below its thin waist its body spread out again as though wearing a fleshy dress, with a single tentacle-like tail.

Lastly there was its face, set in deep on a long, craned neck that looked down at the group. That face was thin and bony, unusual after seeing the loose flesh covering the rest of his body. Its black eyes glared out emptily at the group one by one. Those eyes… they had intelligence, nothing that any real monster had ever truly shown before. It really was no ordinary monster.

Stretching and raising its fleshy arms, the creature let out a furious, heart-clenching screech. The sound echoed throughout the engine room as well as the lower decks of the ship. Lifting up its thick tail off the ground it pointed the tip towards Cloud and Tifa, who were the closest to it. The tail's tip began to glow brightly, before a beam of light abruptly burst out from the tail and zipped towards them. Cloud and Tifa jumped away from each other as the light struck the ground where they had stood, letting it fire into the ground.

The laser pierced the metal with ease, the edges around where the light went through melting and curling in on itself from the intense heat. The laser continued to move across the floor towards the body of the fallen guard. It missed him only by inches and stopped just before hitting the wall where the engines were built.

The creature's tail twitched violently as a parade of bullets suddenly flung through the air and struck its hideously malformed side. Sprays of green-black blood oozed from the wounds and slid down the creature's side. The creature shrieked again, the ground quaking beneath its flat, seemingly footless body. It slowly began to turn, a squelching sound coming from beneath it as it moved, the blood trickling down towards the metal floor. It eventually stopped as it faced Barret, who had moved away from the wall and was standing directly behind it, his gun-arm aiming for its head.

He immediately opened fire as the creature turned, and the bullets powered up to its already deformed face. The creature moved away in time, but at least two bullets connected with the side of its face. They seemed to cut right through with ease and sunk deep into the skin, as though there was no bone to cut through. The rest of the bullets missed completely and hammered into the back wall. The creature seemed to grin a large, black grin and began to advance on Barret, its tail sliding silently behind it. It raised its one good tentacle arm, the tip glowing, and prepared to bring it down on Barret.

Red XIII, unable to watch anymore, leaped up from the ground and clamped his jaws firmly around the tentacles arm. His sharp fangs sunk deep into the flesh, surprised at the firmness of it. A sour taste of rot and decayed flesh hit his senses and he almost let go, but he just curled his tongue back as far as it would go and held on.

The creature, enraged by Red XIII's attack, swung its arm furiously in an attempt to throw him off. It lifted its tentacle-arm high up into the air and swung it round, but Red XIII simply dug his claws into the arm, wrapped his tail around for extra support and held on.

Temporarily distracted in its quarrel with Red XIII, it was time for the others to attack. Barret opened fire again, sending more bullets up into the air. The creature's body shuddered again as more bullets were flung into its flesh, allowing more green-black blood to pour from its side. In response the creature raised its tail and moved it forward between itself and Barret, shielding itself from the bullets. Its tail was made of thicker, firmer flesh, and the bullets found it much harder to penetrate. Of course, lifting up its tail made the back of the creature bare and very exposed to a direct rear assault.

Cloud was kneeling on the ground right then, where he and Tifa had fallen after dodging the creature's tail laser. Standing up he lifted his sword and darted forward, levelling the sword in front of him. He then thrust it forward and buried it deep in the open flesh of the creature's back, even if he could only reach up to its lower waist. His blade sunk in only halfway – beyond that the flesh became more compact and harder to push the blade through.

Feeling the blade's sharp edges inside of it, the creature roared angrily. In retaliation it flipped its tail back with amazing force. Barret ducked in time for the tail to move over his head, but with his blade still stuck in the creature's side Cloud couldn't move away, and the tail struck him hard as it spun round. The blade came out as Cloud was thrown back to the far wall, where he crashed against it and fell to the ground, the sword clattering at his feet. Tifa immediately ran to his side and knelt beside him.

Retaliating from Cloud's assault, the deformed creature swung its arm around and threw Red XIII against the wall. A loud crack sounded throughout the room as Red XIII was slammed against the wall and released, also falling to the floor.

While the creature's arm was suspended in the air, a quick flash of metal zipped through the air, and the creature roared as its arm fell cleanly from its body and onto the floor, allowing even more blood ooze onto the floor. The creature thrashed and writhed, its roars almost ear-piercing, while the shuriken flew back like a boomerang through the air to Yuffie's hand where she was waiting for it.

It was then that the final direct assault took place. Barret, safe in his position, opened fire at the open wound of its arm where the flesh was ruptured and soft. Red XIII clambered to his feet and leaped up the side of the creature's body, dodging the bullets, and attacked its face directly, clawing and scratching and biting wherever he could. Yuffie guarded Aeris, throwing her shuriken so that it whipped round and cut more holes in the flesh.

It was enough. A final cry of despair and pain made Barret and the others all stop their attacks and step back. The creature's entire body shuddered before them like an out-of-control fit. Blood ran down over almost every inch of its body, its already misshapen form even more deformed by bullets, claws and blades. More smoke then began to seep out of those wounds, the same colour as before, and began to envelope the creature once again. Inside the cloud the creature roared, its silhouette burning as though on fire, until its cry and its form seemed to fade into nothing. The smoke slowly evaporated, and the echo of its cry died down to nothing and left the engine room quiet, bar for the rumble of the engine.

For a moment or two no one said anything, catching their breath after the creature's disappearance. Tifa was still kneeling by Cloud, tying a bandage from her own wrists around his wrist where the metal wall had cut through when he fell. All that remained of the creature to prove of its existence was the same arm-like tentacle that had been cut clean off by Yuffie's shuriken, although this time it wasn't wriggling or flopping. Now it was lying dead and motionless on the ground in a pile of ooze, a single ball of red materia lying silently next to it.

"Eeeew!" Yuffie squealed, her bones turning to jelly as she looked at the disgusting pile of flesh in the middle of the engine room. "What is it! GROSS!"

Everyone gathered around the dead tentacle-arm, including Tifa and Cloud, after Cloud assured her that his wrist was only scratched and not badly hurt. They all looked down at the pile of dead mottled flesh, unable to fight the feeling that they knew who or what the creature had been.

"I've seen this somewhere… before," said Tifa, confirming everyone's thoughts.

"That's what disappeared from the Shinra building," said Red XIII.

Cloud knelt down beside the immobile arm, unsure whether or not to touch it to make sure that it truly was dead and the creature would not be reborn from it. Red XIII was very observant, and had made the same connection as he did. "…Jenova," he said, his voice very low. "The arm of Jenova."

The name sent chills down everyone's spine. Apart from Yuffie, they all knew what 'Jenova' was. Jenova was the strange, headless creature that had been locked away in the Shinra science laboratory. At least, that was until Sephiroth appeared and released it, dragging it away from the headquarters. Cloud had almost forgotten about Jenova, the Ancient who was Sephiroth's mother. Except the creature they had just fought was certainly not headless. It had been alive and intact.

"Jenova…" muttered Barret, the sick taste of disgust in his mouth. "You mean he's been walkin' around with that thing?" He watched, as Cloud stood up mechanically, his Mako-eyes almost blank as he became lost in thought.

"So it WAS Sephiroth?" he said.

Those words were the realisation that everyone had feared. Somehow they had hoped, by some weird miracle, that Sephiroth was indeed dead and all the rumours were just rumours. Yet now it seemed that Sephiroth was alive, and they had seen it with their own eyes. Tifa secretly clenched her fists tightly in anger as her memories of Sephiroth haunted her. The memories that made her move to Midgar, where her only surviving friends still lived. Now she was being forced to relive those memories again.

"He said something about it being time for something," she said, trying to shake off the painful memories. She couldn't afford to lose herself to the fear that this could lead to her losing more people that she cared about.

"……Time… is now?" Cloud said, repeating Sephiroth's words. They made no sense, but that was no surprise. Sephiroth had seemed to be in some sort of trance throughout the whole meeting.

Aeris scratched her head. "Hmm… I don't get it," she said, giving up. "Hey, Cloud, can you explain it to us?"

Behind her, Yuffie nodded her head vigorously, clearly the most confused out of everyone since they had had little time to explain everything to her. Cloud sighed heavily. He was just as confused.

"…I'll try," he said. "But don't interrupt me while I'm explaining." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, then breathed deeply before beginning to explain the events so far. "Sephiroth went off searching for the Promised Land, so he could become the ruler of the planet… That was five years ago. Then Sephiroth came back and killed President Shinra. And then just now all of us saw Sephiroth. He was carrying Jenova with him… This much I do know. He told me he wants to go to the Promised Land with his mother, Jenova…" He shrugged. "I guess that's about it."

He stopped as the speaker above them crackled into life, and the strong but still anxious voice of the ship's announcer rang throughout the ship, making them all jump violently.

"Dock workers – We will be docking in Costa del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking."

Everyone immediately sighed with relief, glad to hear that news. Clearly everything was back to normal on the ship, despite the battle that had gone on below. Pretty soon they would be back on dry land and away from the cluttered, claustrophobic decks of the ship. Hopefully away from Sephiroth and the Shinra as well, although they knew that would be too much to hope for.

"Maybe we shouldn't stay in here anymore…" Aeris said as the voice of the announcer died down.

One by one everyone nodded and headed towards the door, Cloud picking up the ball of Materia as he went. Inside the new materia, also summoning materia dropped by Jenova, was the image of the fiery beast known as Ifrit. Cloud pocketed it and went to the door as Tifa walked out, before stopping and looking back at the emptiness of the engine room. Soon the ship staff would find the bodies of the workers in here, and he wondered whether Shinra would blame it on them or Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth… is alive… The Promised Land… Does it really exist…?"

He looked around one more time, until he finally turned around and left the engine room and its lost souls behind.

* * *

**Costa del Sol**

It wasn't long before the shores of the next continent finally came into view, just as the announcer had promised. It was still a few minutes before the port town came into view, much to the immense relief of the sailors who had all gathered on deck to watch it grow into view.

Slowly but surely, there it was. The port town and popular holiday resort of Costa del Sol, the opposite partner of Junon where the two continents connected through this one main ship line. Seeing the town with its long, sandy beaches and clear, lustrous waters was such a wonderful sight to the tired sailors. After the alarm had sounded and the bodies discovered, every one of them had become very anxious to get off the ship and onto the safety of the land again.

Finally the Shinra ship pulled into the dock, its engines grinding as they came to a stop. The anchor, previously hanging against the side of the ship's frame, was lowered carefully into the water so that it would hold the ship still and prevent it from drifting off into the ocean again.

There were a number of small motorboats docked in the quay, but the Shinra ship was the only large ocean-going vessel. It caught the attention of the locals and holiday makers who were bathing on the smaller boats, dressed in as little clothing as possible to soak up the sun. They all stood up in their boats and looked as the ship stood silent in the water.

Once all the sailors were out of sight inside the ship preparing to leave, a small door on the deck of the ship opened up beside the stairs that led down to the dock. Cloud and his team ran out of that doorway and down the stairs, hoping to make a quick and quiet escape before Rufus and the Shinra could spot them.

One by one they ran out of the door and onto the dock. They were immensely glad to feel the hot sun against their skin, warming them up within the space of a few seconds and relieving the horribly cramped feeling they had had in the depths of the boat. Even Yuffie, who had chosen to make her exit by jumping off the top of the boat and down to the dock, was no longer feeling seasick. In fact she was so perky that when she landed on the dock she ran around as though checking everything out, before she ran back to join Cloud and the group at the edge of the dock.

As she joined the group once again, she saw that their relief of being back in the sunshine was quickly dissipating. Costa del Sol was a holiday town as well as a port, and the sun was very, very hot. So hot in fact that the group were already beginning to sweat.

"Damn! Sure is hot here!" Barret exclaimed. "But I sure feel better now that I can say goodbye to that sailor suit." Beads of sweat trickled profusely across the black skin of his face and arms. He wiped his face and snarled at how wet it was. He shook his hand vigorously, shaking off the sweat drops. "Yo listen up!" he added suddenly, seeming to take charge again. "Y'all be sure to mingle like regular folks here!"

To one side Tifa rolled her eyes, while Aeris sidled over to Barret and stood close next to him with a sly smile on her face. "Oh, too bad," she said. She looked up at Barret and fluttered her eyelids. "I liked Barret's sailor suit. He looked so cute."

Barret stared down at Aeris, who continued to look up at him with the strange smile on her face. Around him he could hear the giggles of Tifa and Yuffie, as well as the stifled laughs of Cloud and Red XIII. "……" he muttered, looking around at the others forcing back their laughs. He snapped round back to Aeris, his eyes flared despite the sweat pouring down him. "What ya mean 'cute'?"

"Right… well, uh…" Tifa stammered. She hoped to calm down the situation before Barret exploded, for the veins in his neck were already flared to the max. "Barret, why don't you use that sailor suit for pyjamas. Right, Cloud?"

"I guess," Cloud replied absently. Then, realising Tifa had dropped him in it, he quickly shook his head. "Ahhh… You look like a bear wearing a marshmallow."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" roared Barret, his fists up in the air ready to bring them down on Cloud and wipe the smirk off his face. "This happens to be the most comfortable, so shu'up!"

"Would you kindly hurry?" Red XIII said suddenly. He was crouched very low on the floor, his paws barely visible beneath his bulk, his tail lying flat against the floor, and he was panting heavily. "The heat here is drying my nose."

"Yeah, mine too!" said Yuffie, her hands covering her nose from the sun, and jumping up and down.

Cloud ignored Yuffie's statement, not even bothering to consider how her nose could be drying up like Red XIII's, and nodded his head. "All right. We'll take a break and then head off. Don't wander too far off," he added sternly.

"I'll wander wherever I damn well want!" Barret snapped. To prove his point, he ran off towards the town, leaving Cloud and his group behind without even a glance back.

Cloud shook his head, and looked down as he saw Red XIII slowly crawling past his feet. The mammal's feet were shuffling incredibly slowly across the floor as though he could hardly even move, and his fur was already damp and clammy. "It looks like my mane got messed up," was all he said as he crawled by. "I'm going to rest somewhere cool."

"Don't bother looking for me!" exclaimed Yuffie, and she quickly spun round and ran off. Cloud didn't even bother thinking where she would go. Somewhere with a lot of materia, most likely. He did wonder why she had made it her mission to travel with them. There was no motivation in her reasons. At least, not the same motivation as him and his friends.

"I think I'll go swimming," Tifa said suddenly, looking at Aeris.

"Sounds good to me!" Aeris replied with a grin. After all, Costa del Sol was a holiday down. Aeris then stopped as another sly grin appeared on her face, and she ran over to Cloud. "Hmm, Cloud, are you thinking of anything in particular? Your cool exterior's cracking…"

Cloud almost choked and glared at Aeris in surprise and shock. His face, already reddened by the heat, turned to a deep crimson and Cloud had to quickly turn away to hide the embarrassment. Aeris just laughed, pleased that Cloud had reacted the way she had hoped.

"Well then, let's go!" she said, turning back to Tifa, who was giggling.

The two girls then ran off laughing into the town, leaving Cloud behind on the dock. After taking a minute to cool down and return his skin to its normal colour, Cloud then made his exit from the dock and headed into the town.

He left just in time, too. Moments after Cloud disappeared from the dock, a helicopter bearing the Shinra logo flew in from the outside of the town and headed straight towards the dock. It moved over to a helipad at the far end of the dock, hovered for a second, before slowly lowering itself onto the pad. Its long tracks settled onto the pad, and the chopper blades slowly stilled. Only then did the doors to the ship open once again, and Rufus and Heidegger exited from the ship, along with two sailors who were very relieved to be back on dry land.

"What a long boat ride that was!" one of the sailors exclaimed. He took a deep breath, glad to feel its freshness, although it was still quite salty from being so close to the sea. Still, he was on land again, and that was all that mattered.

"Hmmm……" Rufus said thoughtfully. He looked around the dock, obviously looking for someone, but he couldn't see them anywhere. "Good work everyone……" he said instead.

"Gya, heh, heh… ha!" Heidegger coughed, catching the very angry glare from Rufus as he began to laugh again. He stammered nervously under his breath, before turning towards the helicopter. "Hurry up with that!" he shouted.

"Yes sir!" replied the pilot, who was standing beside the helicopter. He saluted and quickly ran back to work, preparing the helicopter for take off again.

Satisfied that the helicopter workers were now working instead of standing around, Heidegger turned back to Rufus. The Shinra President was standing with his arms folded and his head lowered in thought. There was also a frown on his face, so clearly he was thinking about what had happened on the ship.

When the alarm had sounded, Rufus had been rushed off to the emergency cabin to safety, and there he had stayed until the ship speaker had announced their arrival at Costa del Sol. He hadn't been able to see the sailors removing the bodies of the few that were dead, but he had heard the terrified rumours rushing among the sailors.

"I heard Sephiroth was on board," he said suddenly, not lifting his head or looking at Heidegger.

Heidegger froze, his voice stuttering a reply. "……Yes," was all he could muster.

"And it seems Cloud and the others were on board, too."

"……Yes," Heidegger said again, hanging his head.

"They all slipped through……" Rufus said quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking it all through and letting Heidegger sweat at the thought of what Rufus would do. There was no doubt in Rufus's mind that Cloud and the others had already escaped the ship and were hiding in Costa del Sol, if they hadn't gone on ahead of them already. "You messed up big this time, Heidegger."

"I'm ashamed of myself," Heidegger replied pitifully, trying to make himself sound as pathetic as possible.

Rufus slowly opened his eyes and looked at Heidegger in disgust. "Is that all you can do…?" he asked. "Give one word answers and apologise for everything?" He got no reply from Heidegger, but it was clear from the look on his bearded face that he was shocked, and couldn't look at the President, deliberately turning his head away so Rufus couldn't see.

"Ready for departure, sir!" came the pilot's voice from across the dock.

Rufus nodded and turned towards the helicopter. He was about to pass Heidegger, when he suddenly stopped and gave him a sideways glance. "……Do something," he ordered sternly under his breath. "I'll be expecting results."

Heidegger continued to say nothing as Rufus walked past him and headed towards the helicopter. Once Rufus was far enough away from him, Heidegger turned sharply towards the two sailors who were standing near to the edge of the dock.

Catching Heidegger's angry gaze one of the soldiers panicked and ran quickly, but Heidegger quickly cornered him at the edge. Without a single care for the sailor's well being he pushed the sailor harshly into the water. The sailor landed with a cry and a large splash, sending spray up into the air. Heidegger than grabbed the second sailor, who knew better than to run, and threw him into the water also, creating another large spray of water.

Once he was done with the sailors, Heidegger snapped round and turned towards the group of bathers who were watching from the presumed safety of their boats. All of the bathers panicked and ran inside their cabins as Heidegger stormed towards them like an out of control bull, but Heidegger stopped at the edge and shook his fists, cursing loudly at them.

The sound of the helicopter blades made him stop, and he turned just in time to see the helicopter rise off the helipad and into the air. He could just see Rufus in the passenger seat of the chopper, not even looking down at Heidegger as the helicopter turned and flew off away from Costa del Sol, leaving him behind.


	38. Part 03: Chapter 38

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

Cloud was quite amazed as he walked through the streets of Costa del Sol. There were very few places left in the world untouched by the Shinra and their Mako reactors, but Costa del Sol was one of them. Unlike dark and dreary city of Midgar and port town of Junon, or even the lonely and quiet village of Kalm, Costa del Sol was a bright and vibrant place, filled with people enjoying the sunshine and the sights. Cloud figured he had probably been to Costa del Sol before, probably on his way to Nibelheim all those years ago, but he didn't remember much about it.

As he crossed the bridge that led from the dock, he could easily see the difference between Junon and Costa del Sol. There were luxurious villas lined up between the dock and the shore, still looking brand new and very tempting to buy. Most visitors ended up buying a villa at some time or another, although they were very expensive. Cloud could see one up for sale just ahead of time, with a sign in the window with the price 300,000 gil written on it. Only the very wealthy could buy a villa like that, although Cloud was very tempted. 'Villa Cloud'. It was a nice thought.

He headed down towards the town. He began to feel very out of place in his purple uniform and armour, and his large sword hung behind his back. All of the other people in Costa del Sol were dressed in bikinis or swimsuits, for it was much too warm for anything else. Cloud hung his head and sighed heavily, feeling very inadequate.

He looked up suddenly as a red ball suddenly moved past his feet, and was even more startled when a young boy ran carelessly up in front of him and skidded to catch the ball. The boy caught the ball with his feet but fell back, losing his balance on the sandy floor. He fell back against Cloud's legs, where Cloud pushed him upright again. The boy didn't look back or say thank you as he pushed away from Cloud and kicked the ball hard towards one of the smaller, cheaper villas before running out to join his friend.

At least, it looked like he was kicking it to the villa. As Cloud looked up he saw Red XIII sitting under the shade of the villas, away from the sunlight. He looked like he was half asleep, but Cloud could see that his one good eye was open slightly, looking out attentively as his tail swished gently back and forth, hitting the ball back towards the playing children. It looked very odd, for it looked as though Red XIII wasn't giving it any attention or will. Curious, he walked over to Red XIII. The dog-like creature barely looked much better now that he was in the shade, but he still didn't look up at Cloud.

"Hm, that's interesting," Red XIII mumbled softly to Cloud, looking at his tail flick the ball back to the boys. "It's not as if I'm doing this because I want to. You see, this tail of mine moves quite independently of my will."

As if to prove his point, he yawned very loudly and shut his eye. Cloud watched as the boys kicked the ball back over, and was surprised to see Red XIII's tail twitch and catch the ball easily, flicking it back again. It really did have a mind of its own. Again he wondered just what kind of creature Red XIII was, but it wasn't really that important.

"Come on, everyone! Just take a look at this!"

Cloud froze instantly. That high-pitched, hyper sounding voice… He prayed that his mind was only playing tricks on him, and the voice didn't belong to whom he thought it belonged to. He turned away from Red XIII, who by now was dozing in the shade, and slowly turned his head towards the stalls at the west of the town. His gaze fell on one stall in particular, and he almost dropped to the ground.

"Oh, no…"

He was looking at the Materia stall, which sold some nice but common forms of Materia. To Cloud's horror but to no surprise he saw that Yuffie was standing behind the stall, an apron around her waist, calling out to potential customers passing by. So much for keeping a low profile, Cloud thought to himself. Even so, Yuffie seemed to be doing a good job, for there was a small crowd gathering around the stall.

"Take a look at this awesome Materia!" Yuffie announced, lifting up a green ball from the stall, her eyes flashing with the light shining through the ball from the sun. "Hey, Mister! You want to buy this? I know you want to!"

Cloud sauntered over to the stall, peering over the small crowd as Yuffie lowered the ball of Materia back to the stall to present another one. As Yuffie put her arms beneath the stall, he thought he saw her slip the Materia into her pocket, but he couldn't be sure. She grinned happily at the crowd around her, seeming to be enjoying herself. Even Butch, the owner of the Materia Stall, looked pleased.

"Well, we're lucky to have that cutie working for us part-time," he was saying to another customer.

Part-time? Cloud figured that Yuffie had no intention of staying in Costa del Sol working for the stall. She was a Materia Hunter, not a Materia Seller. He probably did see her sneaking Materia into her pockets, and Butch would realise that he wasn't as lucky as he thought.

"Ah, Cloud!" Yuffie called out, spotting him amongst the crowd. She moved across the stall towards him, holding out two more balls of Materia in her hands and thrusting them in Cloud's face. "Let me make a buck why don't you? I'm sellin' Materia. Why don't you buy some?"

Cloud shook his head, and Yuffie quickly ran off to catch another customer eyeing the Materia. Once again he thought he saw Yuffie slip the Materia into her pockets, so he quickly slipped away and left Yuffie to her sneaky antics. The inn was built right next to the stalls, so he headed over to it. He doubted anyone would have bothered to check in, and with night fast approaching within the next hour or so, they needed to make sure they had a place to sleep.

Pushing open the door to the Costa del Sol Inn, he was surprised to see that it was quite dark inside, a change from the bright outdoors, although it was a relief as well. Even so, the brightness of the outdoor sun had left his vision distorted, and everything he looked at had a green tinge to it. He blinked a couple of times but the shade just wouldn't shake, so he gave up and walked fully into the inn.

"Uggh!" came an annoyed voice from the side. "I feel God awful!"

Cloud looked over to his right and saw the innkeeper standing to one side, looking extremely fed up. As Cloud walked over he looked up, looking in particular at his unusual clothing and weapon. Then, as though recognising him, his eyes snapped open and he pointed straight at Cloud.

"Oh! You!" he said, making Cloud jump back in surprise. "Weren't you the one with that big sailor?"

Cloud blinked. The innkeeper must have gotten him confused with someone else, for there certainly no sailors among their group. They had all discarded their sailor uniforms back on the ship before fighting Jenova. "Dunno what you're talking about," he said evasively. "What's the matter?"

The innkeeper looked around for the moment, before motioning Cloud to come closer. "Listen to this…" he said, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "All of a sudden, this big sailor just bursts in and takes over the restroom. He's been in there moaning ever since. I don't know what I'm gonna do." He scratched his head, thinking. "Ah…… if you're checking in, would you please pay his bill, too?"

"Yo, Cloud!" came Barret's voice. Cloud turned and looked behind him, surprised to see Barret standing a few metres behind. "Still too early, ain't it?"

Barret then turned and ran back, slamming the door of the restroom behind him. Cloud stared, sensing the pitiful gaze of the innkeeper behind him. A flush of thoughts ran through Cloud's mind as he pieced it all together. A big sailor locked in a restroom… it couldn't be Barret. He shook his head vigorously, not wanting to think that Barret was seriously considering keeping the sailor suit, as pyjamas or otherwise. It was not a pleasant thought. He said his hurried goodbyes and quickly vacated the inn, deciding that maybe he could book in later.

Standing outside the inn, Cloud stopped for a moment to look around the town, his eyes once again having to adjust to the light. Up ahead he could see the shoreline and the beaches, and it was clear that the beach was packed with bathers. Red XIII was still fast asleep, his tail continuing to kick the ball back and forth across the ground. Yuffie was still selling materia, the crowd still large in front of the stall. There was not much more to explore, so he figured he'd find Tifa and Aeris, who were probably on the beach.

He found Tifa and Aeris quite easily, probably because they were standing at the bottom of the steps leading down to the shore. They looked like they hadn't moved anywhere, and were whispering quietly to each other and pointing across the beach. They hardly even noticed when Cloud walked up behind them, and gently patted Aeris on the shoulder.

"Oh!" the girl shrieked, jumping about half a metre into the air and making the bathers around them look up in surprise. "Cloud!"

Before she could protest any further about Cloud making her jump like, Tifa ran to Cloud and grabbed his arm. She pulled him harshly forwards so that he could see across the beach. "Look, look at that!" she said.

Cloud looked to where Tifa was pointing. The problem was that the sun was shining directly in his Mako blue eyes, and it was hard to see and it was making them glow more than usual. He shielded his eyes with his hand and looked closer to make out what Tifa was trying to show him. He stared a few seconds more, before he opened his eyes wide.

At the other end of the beach was a large group of girls dressed in tight, bikini swimsuits. They were all draped around a deckchair, with a large umbrella shielding them from the sunlight. Lying in the chair was a man, whom they were all draped over. Normally this wouldn't be an unusual sight, except that the man was dressed in a long white lab coat, and had a head of shiny black hair and sharp glasses. It couldn't seriously be who it looked like. Couldn't be.

Cloud narrowed his eyes again, focusing his sight. "Hm…? Who, Hojo…?" he asked, hardly able to believe his eyes. "Is that man over there, Hojo?"

Tifa nodded. "Go over there and talk to him." She gave him another push away from her, making Cloud almost stagger onto the beach sand.

Cloud sighed and headed over towards where Hojo was… sunbathing. He didn't even want to think about Hojo sunbathing, let alone why he was bathing whilst still wearing his lab coat. Even so as he approached he could see that the girls were draped all over him, clearly in awe as they sat around him. One of the girls looked up as Cloud headed towards them. She looked him over, clearly unimpressed, and rolled her eyes.

"God!" she said sarcastically, clearly annoyed at Cloud's interruption of her fawning of Hojo. "What do you want?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "I want to talk with that man," he said, pointing.

"Hey, who do you think you are?" she demanded, sitting upright. Cloud stared back at her defiantly, until she sighed and turned to Hojo. "…Professor Hojo. That scary man says he wants to talk with you."

Cloud looked down at Hojo. The Shinra scientist had his eyes shut, his arms folded against his chest. He had known that since their encounter in Shinra HQ, when they rescued Aeris and Red XIII from being more scientific experiments, Hojo had been missing. He never expected to find Hojo here.

Until then Hojo had been resting with his eyes shut, and didn't even open his eyes as he said, "I'm busy right now," and fell turned his head away. One of the other girls began to run her fingers across his hair, making Cloud feel sick.

"……But. Too bad," Cloud said simply, folding his arms.

"No, I remember you all now……" Hojo said suddenly. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up, adjusting his glasses and looking up at Cloud. Cloud's body was outlined brightly in the sunlight, but Hojo could see him all right. "Yes, yes. I remember now. It's been a long time, Cloud."

Cloud frowned, not interested in any pleasantries from Hojo. He remembered all too well the things that Hojo did, now and in the past. It was his scientific experiments that created the human-like monsters found in the Nibelheim Mako Reactor, and Cloud couldn't forget that. Hojo was ruthless when it came to his experiments. He looked up as Tifa and Aeris ran up behind him.

"Hojo……" Cloud said, trying to contain the anger in his voice.

"Sometimes you just gotta do something like this," Hojo said, lying back on the deck chair with his arms behind his head.

Cloud and the others stared blankly. "……What are you doing?" Cloud asked him.

"It should be obvious. I'm getting a tan."

"Answer me!" Cloud snapped, ignoring the fact that Hojo's skin was so unusually pale that it would have been impossible for him to gain any sort of tan other than a burning red of skin not used to the sun.

"Hmm!" Hojo snorted irritably. He pushed himself upright and adjust his glasses again, looking up at Cloud with a knowing smile. "I believe we're both after the same goal," he said finally.

Cloud blinked at him blankly. "You mean Sephiroth?" he asked.

"Did you see him?" Hojo asked, looking up Cloud with such a gaze that it made Cloud feel slightly uncomfortable. Still, Cloud nodded, thinking back to Sephiroth's presence on board the ship. His nod seemed to satisfy Hojo's curiosity, and a smirk spread on his pale face. "I see… Ha! Ha!"

Cloud, Tifa and Aeris looked at Hojo in bewilderment as he sniggered silently to himself. He gently waved the girls away from him and stood up, his lab coat hardly even moving away from his skin as he moved. The peculiar smirk remained on his face as he stood, and he quickly moved his hand over his smile to hide his knowing sniggering.

"What is it?" Cloud demanded angrily, his hand itching to reach for his sword and put it to the egotistical scientist's throat. But there were far too many people around, and he would never get any answers if he killed Hojo outright.

"Nothing," Hojo replied, although it was clear that he was hiding something from them. "I just remembered a certain hypothesis……" He turned away for a moment, as though remembering more. He then turned and looked back at Cloud again, Cloud's image reflected in his glasses. "Haven't you ever had the feeling something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place……?"

Cloud growled deep in his throat, his temper flaring. "I'll go anywhere Sephiroth is at!" he shouted, aware of the gazes of Tifa and Aeris behind him. "To beat him and put an end to all this!"

"I see……" Hojo said. He crossed his arms again. "This could be interesting. Were you in SOLDIER? Heh, heh, heh. Would you like to be my guinea pig?" He looked up as he saw Cloud reach for his sword, his fingers clasping around the handle, ready to draw it and kill him. "Oh, now what? Are you going to draw your sword?"

"Stop, Cloud!" Tifa protested. She grabbed Cloud's arm and held it down, stopping him from drawing. "I know how you feel, but you mustn't!"

Cloud glared back at her, but he knew she was right. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't kill Hojo. It was far too risky. So as much as it pained him to do so, he released his grip on his sword, and Tifa let go of his arm.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Hojo laughed, clearly amused by Cloud's predicament. He stopped laughing the moment he saw Aeris standing behind Cloud nervously, and he looked at her in surprise. "……Say, aren't you the 'Ancient'?"

Aeris stepped forward. "I'm Aeris," she said, sounding a little annoyed but not afraid of him. "The least you can do is remember my name." She walked a little closer, slightly hesitant. "I want you to tell me something, Professor Hojo… I know I'm an Ancient. My mother told me."

"Your mother?" Hojo asked, confused. He seemed to think for a moment, and then he nodded as he remembered. "Oh, you mean Ifalna? How is she?"

"You didn't know?" Aeris said, sounding shocked. "She died."

Those words seemed to be quite a shock for Hojo. Clearly he hadn't heard about that, even though it was so long ago. For once the narcissistic smile faded from his face and he looked almost sad as he turned away from Aeris.

"……I see," was all that he could say.

Aeris looked down. She had very few memories of her mother, but it was clear that, even as a subject of study for Shinra, Ifalna was very precious to a number of people. Even Hojo, who her mother worked hard to escape from, until she finally escaped and fled with Aeris to the slums of Midgar. Then, with the last of her strength gone, she had collapsed, her dying wish being for Elmyra to take care of Aeris. Then she had died, leaving Aeris only with her voice that she heard only from the Planet.

"Professor Hojo…" Aeris said quietly. She pushed down her mother's memory and looked up at the scientist. "Is Jenova an Ancient? Is Sephiroth an Ancient? Do we all have the same blood?"

She asked with such sincerity that Hojo seemed to feel even guiltier. It was important for Aeris to know if she shared the same blood as Sephiroth, that they were descended from the same Cetra. He turned further away from Aeris, unable to meet her gaze, and began to mumble something under his breath.

"…Head west…"

"He's mumbling slowly…" Aeris said. "That must mean he's hiding something!"

Hojo looked back at them, the light from the sun on his glasses keeping them from seeing his gaze, although his expression was blank. Without saying anything more apart from a sigh, he lay back down on the deckchair, to the girls who were waiting for him. "…………" he mumbled.

"Hey! Answer us!" Tifa demanded.

"……It's no use," Cloud said with a sigh. "It's no go."

With that, Cloud turned and headed away from Hojo, leaving him with his little band of fan girls to fawn over him, although he couldn't figure out why. Maybe they were just girls who liked the look of authority. Still, it didn't matter to him, and he had already got the information he wanted. Tifa and Aeris waited a moment before following him, now put off from the chance of swimming in the clear blue seas.

Neither Tifa nor Aeris were surprised to see what was going on in the town centre of Costa del Sol. Yuffie was making a pile of money in her 'part-time job', and was clearly enjoying it. Her pockets were bulging, probably from all the materia she was sneaking in on the quiet.

Cloud headed straight to the inn, leaving Tifa and Aeris outside to shop in an attempt to lighten their own mood, but Cloud was in no mood for shopping. Talking with Hojo had really put him in a bad mood, so he was going to check in and stay there until the morning.

The innkeeper seemed to be in a better mood when Cloud returned, although it was clear that Barret still hadn't left the restroom. Yet Cloud could see why the innkeeper was so amused. The moment Cloud walked in he could hear Barret's voice, loud and very clear, sailing in from the restroom.

"Uh uh! Hmmm? Marlene! You okay?"

The innkeeper sniggered to himself as Cloud walked over to the restroom. The door was locked tight, but there was a keyhole in the side, so Cloud bent down and peeked through it. He could see Barret inside the restroom and, as Cloud had feared, he was dressed in the sailor suit from the Shinra ship. He was standing in front of the mirror, posing, and trying the outfit out in the so-called privacy of the restroom.

"……Dad'll wear this when I go to see you. Uh uh!" He stopped suddenly as he sensed someone standing behind the door, and caught a glimpse of blue beyond the keyhole. "Hey, yo!" he roared. "Someone's in here, awright?"

Cloud stood up and turned away, deciding to imagine that he had never seen a thing. Instead he went back to the innkeeper, who was still laughing under his breath at the noises coming from the bathroom. He was still smirking even when Cloud walked up to him, shaking his head pitifully.

"Welcome!" the innkeeper said, trying to hide his humorous smile as Cloud walked up to him. "What's it going to be? 200 gil a night. You must be tired. Tomorrow in the Costa del Sol area, the weather is going to be…… sunny, again." He smiled. "Cradled by the sound of the ocean waves… Sweet dreams……"

* * *

It wasn't too long before the hot red ball of the sun finally began to slide down the sky towards the horizon, changing the clear blue sky to a fiery red colour. Everything in Costa del Sol changed in hue to a deep red-orange. Many people gathered on the shore to watch the sunset, until the sun slipped beneath the horizon and allowed the gentle dark of the night sweep across the sky into a beautiful night sky. 

At about half past eleven the streets began to clear and silence fell upon Costa del Sol. All those who owned villas were safely inside, while the other guests were booked up in the inns. Tifa and the others had all booked into the inn at some point and were now safely tucked up in their beds. Barret had eventually merged from the restroom, no longer in the sailor suit, and was asleep also.

Only Cloud had remained awake, even as the inn's clock chimed midnight with its softy, rhythmic melody that echoed around the quiet corridors. As the clock made its twelve melodic chimes to signal the hour, Cloud continued to lie back with his eyes wide open, his mind lost in thought. His sword lay against a chair on the single desk, along with the balls of summon and magic materia he had gathered.

He couldn't stop thinking about what Hojo had said on the beach. Were you in SOLDIER, he had asked. Cloud couldn't help thinking what a peculiar question it was, especially since Cloud had never met Hojo before until that time in the Shinra building. Then, Aeris had known Cloud had been in SOLDIER, simply from the glow in his eyes. Still, the way Hojo had asked the question made Cloud feel very uneasy, and he couldn't shake that off. Somehow it even made him angry, although he couldn't explain why.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the three Summon Materia he had gathered. Choco/Mog, Shiva, and Ifrit, some of the basic summons known. They were the most common and the easiest to master, but there were others more powerful in the world. He had no doubt that he would find them eventually, and they would need every bit in order to challenge Sephiroth.

Turning away from the Materia Cloud turned over and looked to the window, which was open to let in the cool night air. It was still warm even with the sunlight gone, and the sky was still beautifully clear. There were quite a few stars in the sky, but many of them were blotted out by the night-lights. Only in the countryside would the full beauty of the stars be visible. Towns and cities hid most of those sights, but it was still nice to look at.

Head west, Hojo had mumbled before he lay back down on the beach. Cloud had a pretty good mental map of the world in his mind, and he knew that the only way to get to the west part of the continent would be to go all the way south, to the Southern Mountains, and pass through them to the west continent.

Of course, to pass through the mountains, they would eventually have to pass through Nibelheim and Mt. Nibel. It was the only way, for Nibelheim was built right at the entrance to the mountain, its winding mountain path going all the way through to the west continent. He would have to see Nibelheim again, with its aged, burnt-down houses, and relive the memories again…

Cloud must have fell asleep at some point, for when he next opened his eyes there was bright sunlight shining in through the window, with a cool morning breeze blowing in and making the curtains rustle. In an instant he bolted upright, wondering just how long he had slept and whether the others would be waiting for him.

He left the room in a rush, his hair still tousled, but no one would really notice. The innkeeper was already at work behind the counter, going through his financial books. He looked up with a cheery smile as Cloud emerged from the room.

"Good morning," he said. "Be careful travelling. Your party has departed. Ooops…… That's bad luck…… I mean, they have already left."

Cloud nodded, said his thanks to the innkeeper and hurriedly left the inn to find the others, hoping they hadn't gone ahead without him.

Thankfully they hadn't, for as Cloud finally emerged from the inn he spotted them standing at the far edge of the town, waiting for him at the entrance. Barret was, as usual, tapping his foot impatiently against the sandy floor and complaining about the waiting, while Red XIII was crawling across the floor again. Yuffie, on the other hand, looked a little bit edgy.

Aeris was the first to spot Cloud. She jumped up and waved to him happily, urging him to hurry up.

"What took you so long?" she asked as Cloud ran over.

"Sorry," Cloud apologised.

"'Bout time," Barret sneered, clearly still in a bad mood from yesterday. He looked at Cloud expectantly. "So? Where we headed?"

"Hojo said something about heading west," said Tifa.

Cloud nodded in agreement. "Of course, we'll have to go south through Mt. Corel first…" He looked at Tifa, who looked back at him with the same expression. She had also been up most of the night, thinking about the exact same thing.

Until that point, Yuffie had been standing at the far edge of the group, keeping a close eye out on the stalls that were beginning to open for the day's business. The moment she saw Butch beginning to lift the covers off his stall she jumped up and turned quickly back to the group.

"Well, let's get going!" she said.

Before anyone could protest she began to push everyone as hard as she could out of the town, the grin maintained on her face. She didn't stop pushing until they were well out of view of the stalls and out of the town, just as Butch lifted the final covers of his stall, and saw the bare, empty bench.

"WHERE'S ALL MY MATERIA?"

* * *

End of Part Three 

Part Four: Bright Lights and Starry Skies

* * *

**EMERALD:** And that's the end of another part! As you know, the list of chapters is, umm, steadily beginning to increase. That is why I'm planning that, maybe after either Chapter 50 (or the end of the part that Chapter 50 lands in), or maybe at the end of the first disc, I will create a new story file for Final Fantasy 7: The Story Second Instalment, or something along those lines. Otherwise I may end up with a story over 100 chapters long in one file! Let me know what you think I should do regarding this problem. 

**CLOUD:** Maybe you should have thought of all this before…

**EMERALD:** Eh, heh… heh…


	39. Part 04: Chapter 39

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Part Four: Bright Lights and Starry Skies**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

"Wow!" Yuffie exclaimed, her eyes wide in excitement. "It's so pretty!"

Cloud and the group were all standing on the edge of a large ridge, taking a break after walking for over an hour or so across the grassy lands of the Costa Plains. Although the walk had been easy without the attacks of the toy-like monsters that lived inside one another, popping out at random times, it was still a tiring walk.

The ground began to slope up the closer they got to Mt. Corel, and although it was not noticeable at first, pretty soon it had become very tiring. They had reached the south of the northern part of the continent, where a large river separated them from the rest of the southern part. The only way onward was west, towards the entrance of the mountains. So they had decided to take a break on a ridge overlooking the river, where they could see the rest of the land.

On the other side of the river was another large stretch of grassy land, with the mountains on one side and the vast ocean on the other. What had caught Yuffie's eye was a tall and shiny structure built right in the middle of that land, in the centre of an equally vast patch of desert. It was strange to have desert growing in the middle of grassland, but it was the brightness of the tower-like structure that made Yuffie's eyes shine.

From a distance it looked like a giant, oversized flower made entirely of gold, with a number of rounded, golden leaves sticking out from the sides. It looked entirely cut off from the rest of the land, apart from two large cables coming from halfway up the structure to where the first of the 'leaves' was built, and down towards the mountains.

"What is that?" Yuffie asked, letting her legs dangle off the side of the cliff.

"I've heard of it," said Aeris, kneeling down beside Yuffie. "It's the Gold Saucer. It's a theme park. It's got loads of attractions, Chocobo Races, that sort of thing. I've never been there." She turned back to look at Cloud. "Can we stop there?"

Cloud shrugged dismissively. "We'll see when we get there," he said. "First we have to get through the mountains." He turned away and saw Barret standing on the edge of the path winding up towards the mountain entrance. The elder man was the only one not looking at the Gold Saucer, and was tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. "What's wrong with you?" Cloud asked.

Barret looked over at him, and for a second Cloud thought he looked anxious. After that second had passed Barret's usual angry look replaced it. "Mind yer own business, pointy-head!" he snapped. He ran forward towards the edge, where everyone was looking at him. "Are we goin', or are we wastin' time sittin' here?"

After their quick rest they left the ridge and headed onward across the plains towards the mountain. It wasn't long until they were walking right alongside the mountain, following its trail to a second ridge where they could see the port town of Costa del Sol in the distance behind a small hill. From that point they could also see that they weren't being followed by anyone from the Shinra, and that most of the monsters residing in the area had not waken up yet. Still they kept on going, hoping to reach the next town before midday.

A long mountain ran along the side of the mountain, artificially carved by workers aiming to join up the often-disjointed fragments of the western continent. So a smooth, almost entirely level path had been cut out of the mountain, making it safe for travellers to cross. At the single point where the mountains separated to allow the river to flow between them, a strong wooden bridge had been built. Many travellers passed this way through the mountains to catch a glimpse of the waterfall, where water poured out of the side of the mountain and into the river. Yet the trail was a haven for Cockatolis and Needle Kiss birds that were known to attack unwary travellers, so they kept on going.

Finally they reached the spot they were looking for. In between all of the tall jagged points of Mt. Corel, there was one smaller mountain with a ragged natural path riding all the way to the top. Crossing that path would take them further into Mt. Corel, and hopefully towards the other side.

Thankfully, after many years of use by traveller and miners hunting for materia or coal, the path had become quite smooth and safe to cross. They hardly had to climb at all apart from the odd spot where the ground swiftly raised upwards and they had no choice but to climb over it.

Even on the mountain path, there were still plenty of trees growing on either side of the path, their winding leaves and grass covering the sides of the mountain. The ground was also still soft beneath their feet despite the roots that grew up and across the path, and the faint touches of rock that joined the path to the mountain. Looking ahead they could see the sun in its morning glory, a greenish light flickering between the trees and onto the floor, creating dancing patterns from the shadows of the leaves.

The group were surprised as they climbed over one particular ridge. As they climbed up and looked ahead they saw a man, obviously a traveller-of-sorts, sitting on a nearby rock and taking a break from the long haul up the side of the small mountain. He was just sat there on the rock, looking down at a map he had laid on his lap, and was muttering quietly to himself. He barely even looked up as Cloud and the others approached and stood near him, wondering if maybe they could ask for directions to save them wandering through the mountain.

"Whew!" the main sighed suddenly, wiping his forehead. He looked up suddenly and saw the group standing around him, and a wide smile spread on his face. "Hey! You're actually talking to me."

The group looked at one another, thinking that none of them had actually said anything to the man. Travellers were often reputed for being a little strange, talking to anyone whenever possible after many days of lonely travelling. This man had obviously been travelling for days although he looked freshly washed, probably from the waters of the river. They couldn't really deny him his chance to talk to someone after a long time.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

The traveller smiled again, clearly happy to have the chance to talk. "I just passed a guy in a black cloak back there," he said, his brow creasing as he frowned at the memory. "I just tried to tell him that it's dangerous up ahead, and he ignored me!"

All sympathy for the travelling guy evaporated then, as Cloud spun round to look at his friends. A guy in a black cloak could mean only one thing…

"Sephiroth…" said Cloud, confirming everyone's thoughts.

There was another thing everyone realised right then, too. If the traveller was being truthful (for they were also known to exaggerate at times), then Sephiroth would not be very far ahead of them. He could still have been within the very same mountain they were standing on now, going in the same direction that they were. It seemed that Hojo was indeed telling the truth, despite how surprising it seemed. They were going in the right direction.

"Let's hurry on," said Tifa urgently, and the others nodded in agreement. They needed to follow this trail while it was still hot.

Without saying a single word more to the traveller they ran off into the mountain, their enthusiasm pumped up with the thought of catching Sephiroth while he was still inside the mountain. If they kept up a quick pace they could probably catch up to him before he escaped.

They ran on past the grassy path and onto the actual mountain path itself. They ignored the terrible ache of their legs as they pounded their way up the path, forcing themselves up and over the rocky ridges so that they could reach the top and head down deeper into the mountain. Hopefully to where Sephiroth was.

In their hurry to catch up with Sephiroth, the group didn't even notice the quick and rapid changes in the scenery around them. Their minds were too intent on running to notice how the trees began to wither as they ran on, the brown of their trunks transforming into a dull and dreary grey as they struggled to hold onto life. The rocks beneath their feet turned the same familiar dead shade of grey, all of the life sucked from the ground to leave it blank. The only colour came from the sun in the sky, still casting its green morning glow, although not even its life-giving energy could not touch the dead ground.

The top of the path lay just ahead of them, and the group powered their way up to reach it and look down into the heart of the mountain. They didn't stop running until they reached the very top, where they skidded to a stop and looked down before toppling in.

Only then did they notice the dryness of the land and how dead everything had become the further into the mountain they headed. Thoughts of Sephiroth disappeared from their minds as they looked down into the crevice below, to the structure that was so horribly built at the bottom.

It was a Mako Reactor. A Mako Reactor built deep in the heart of Mt. Corel, in the location that was once a popular mining spot. Many tunnels had been dug into the sides of the mountain – paths for miners with trolleys who would dig up coal to take back, use and sell to other towns.

That, of course, was a long time ago. Coal energy hadn't been in use since the discovery of Mako energy, so even here a Mako Reactor had been built to replace it, and the miners were all long gone, taking the land with them.

Barret raised his gun-arm and fired a single, solitary bullet towards the reactor. The bullet flew down and struck the metal of the reactor, even at such a great distance, and a loud ping resonated throughout the cavern, followed by the ricochet of the bullet as it fell to the ground and tumbled off the edge.

Everyone turned to look at Barret. They weren't surprised that he was angry at seeing another Mako Reactor, sucking up all the Planet's life energy, but they were surprised that he had only fired a single bullet at it.

Barret stood poised for a moment or two, looking out over his outstretched arm at the Reactor. He longed to fire a million bullets at it, tearing it to shreds with his own arm, or gun, whatever he could use. Just looking at the reactor as it stood there, the pipes running through the miners' tunnels to suck up the Mako from the Planet, made him feel sick. Eventually he lowered his arm, glared at the Reactor for a few seconds more, before he turned away from the others and began to head down the path that led towards the reactor. The others watched him silently, and then followed him down.

They had no choice but to pass the reactor. There was no way around it. The path they were on joined up to the metal bridges that wound their way around the perimeter of the reactor, so they had to walk right up close to the reactor's entrance in order to pass.

Barret remained entirely silent as they passed the reactor, barely even looking at it as he passed swiftly passed without a single pause. He turned at the next bridge to head back towards Mt. Corel; although this time they were on the other side of the river, where they needed to be. He was walking at such a rapid pace that it was hard for the others to keep up with him, but they had no choice.

They tried to get him to slow down at one point, as they passed the reactor and back into the mountain. It was clear from the layout of the paths that miners had once used them. There were many sturdy bridges specifically designed for carrying coal, swerving up and down where the mountains temporarily ended to reveal a deep chasm. The wood creaked loudly under their feet, but the wood seemed to be sturdy enough despite its age.

After a few minutes of walking across the bridges, Red XIII chose to run ahead to explore the immediate land ahead of them, to make sure that all was well for them to cross. There were many places where the bridges ran close and overlapped, as well as many places where the bridge broke apart with age. No doubt many miners would have lost their lives because of the wood's weakness. Thankfully with the age of Mako energy miners very few used the bridges, and less lives were lost.

As they took a lower bridge towards the river, they spotted Red XIII again. He was sat back on his haunches cleaning the fur of his paws with his tongue. He couldn't go any further because the bridge ahead of cut off – a drawbridge. Even though he was a canine-like animal with canine senses, he didn't hear Cloud and the others approaching. As such he was very surprised when he finally caught their scent on the faint breeze, and the sound of their footsteps, and turned sharply.

"Wha?" he asked, seeming confused. The cleaning of his paws must have been something to calm his mind while he thought about his predicament, but he calmed when he saw it was just the others. "Oh, it's you. There seems to be an instrument in that hut that manipulates this bridge. Perhaps it's best if we rest a moment."

Everyone stopped and looked across the gap. They could see the hut on the other side on an opposite bridge, with the faint shadow of controls visible in its narrow slit window. The only way across to it was back across the bridges, and cross where they overlapped to reach the other side.

"Okay, then… Let's move on!" Cloud said encouragingly.

His statement was met with the sound of groans and complaints. As he looked round the others were rubbing their legs and ankles, clearly in some discomfort after all the walking they had been doing across the plains, the mountain and the rickety wooden paths. Even quickening their pace they had caught no sign of Sephiroth, although they were sure he couldn't have got away so fast. Cloud looked around at the others again as they all sat down almost indignantly on the ground, clearly not prepared to move anywhere until the bridge was down. Which left Cloud the only one left standing.

Sighing heavily, Cloud turned and headed back towards the rickety bridges, leaving the others behind to rest for a while.

He soon found the perfect place to cross in order to reach the bridge. Where the bridges wound up and down to carry the trolleys of coal, the bridges passed close together with only a small gap separating them from the long chasm below.

Even though the bridges stood so close together, Cloud took his time when preparing to cross them. After all the wood was quite old, and although it had managed to hold them all when they walked across it, he didn't know how it would hold when he jumped across. Just looking at the beams he could see the cracks in the framework, but it still looked sturdy enough.

Cloud stepped up to the edge of the beam, making sure his sword and other items were attached securely. He avoided looking down as he stepped up, for it was a very long way down and he didn't want to even think of falling down all that way to a painful death.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Cloud prepared himself for the jump. It wasn't that far a jump, not even a whole metre, but with the weight of the sword on his back he couldn't just stretch across. When he was ready he stepped back on one foot, and then pushed himself off and jumped towards the other bridge.

There was a very loud creak as Cloud landed on the opposite bridge, his boots pressing down on the framework. It turned inward slightly as his full weight landed on the wood, and Cloud was sure he could hear the sound of splinters breaking from underneath him. He froze for a minute, his body frozen in the position he had landed – arms out, legs apart, slightly crouched over. He wasn't even breathing, his ears attuned to listen for any sign of breaking wood.

A full thirty seconds passed by before Cloud began to breathe again, choosing to take the risk as his lungs began to burn in need of air. Cloud relaxed his body at last, letting his arms fall to his sides as the tension subsided.

Yet as Cloud relaxed he unknowingly pressed down harder onto the wood. Beneath his right boot the wooden beam creaked further and a long crack split up the middle from where his boot was applying pressure. Cloud hardly even had the time to look down as the beam broke apart beneath him and his foot fell down the gap, toppling his balance. The other beam supporting his other boot broke just a millisecond later from the strain and Cloud fell down, breaking the other thinner beams that crossed the bridge and towards the chasm.

Cloud reached out to nothing as he saw the bridge zoom past him, unable to comprehend anything as he fell. As the top of the bridge zipped past his eyes a chest-breaking jolt made him jerk forward, and a sharp pain shot across his chest as the strap from his sword quickly rode up. Cloud lifted his head instinctively as the strap passed his neck and head and off his body altogether.

He didn't know how he caught hold of the strap as he passed by, but somehow he did and he suddenly stopped falling. When Cloud opened his eyes again he was looking straight down into the chasm, where he could see the rocky bottom of the mountain where the bridges had been built, along with his legs dangling above it.

Almost choking a breath, Cloud looked upwards to see what had caught him. His sword was lodged horizontally in the wood above him, the blade caught on one end of the broken beams, the handle on the other. Cloud's hands had caught hold of the strap as it was pulled off his chest, and now it was the only thing stopping him from falling any further.

Slowly Cloud swung his legs towards the other beams lining the wall of the bridge and began to climb back up onto the ledge. Thankfully the beams did not break any further, and the sword was lodged so securely in place that it did not fall down into the chasm. Cloud was so relieved when he pulled himself back on top of the bridge and sat down beside his sword. He was not shaking, but he was slightly pale at the prospect of falling down all that way. He then remembered that the others would be waiting for him to lower the bridge, so he shook himself off, picked up his sword and headed quickly along the new bridge towards the control hut they hoped would lower the bridge.

The others were all looking up at the opposite bridge above them earnestly as Cloud finally passed by overhead. Aeris spotted him first – a purple and blond figure running across the bridge – and she jumped up and down enthusiastically, cheering loudly. The others looked seconds after that, shouting up words of encouragement to him as he ran on towards the hut.

It seemed more of a shack than an actual hut, Cloud noted as he approached it. It was incredibly small, much smaller than he had imagined it to be. He found out just how small as he threw open the door and ran in – right into the controls.

"Ow!" Cloud cursed loudly as more sharp pains hit his leg, which he realised was the edge of a metal table containing the control panel. He put out an arm as he felt himself fall, but his arm didn't even reach 45 before it hit the wall. "Sure is tight in here…" Cloud commented, feeling a little stifled in the packed shed. "Come on, Cloud, don't let it get to you. Let's see…"

He ignored the claustrophobic feelings and looked around at the panels in front of him. It was all very simple. All there was in front of him was a metal table with a large metal box on it, containing an old wheel that was covered in rust. It was too dark in the shed to see how it was connected to the bridge, but it was the only device in there – at least that wasn't too rusty to work.

"This is it," Cloud said confidently. "Maybe if I turn this…… something should happen."

He reached out and tried to turn the wheel. It was incredibly stiff after years of neglect, and flakes of copper-coloured rust broke off on his gloves as he gripped them. Realising that it would take a much harder push to make the wheel turn, Cloud took a step back, then leaned forward slightly to grip the wheel again, and began to push with all his might.

Finally, the wheel began to turn. A high-pitched screech echoed throughout the shed as more rust broke off the joints of the wheel and released it, letting it turn in short, sharp shots. Cloud felt his arm muscles burning as he pushed on the wheel, feeling it turn slowly.

Outside, the wheel was beginning to have an effect on the bridge. The others looked on as the raised bridge shuddered slightly and began to lower itself down towards them. Aeris and Yuffie cheered together as the bridge then lowered faster, until it finally settled down in front of them, connecting the two halves of the bridge together to make it whole. Moments later they saw Cloud emerge from the shed, rubbing the wrist that was still bandaged by Tifa, and turned towards the others, who were running across the bridge already.

Instead of going back all the way across the bridges (and to avoid jumping over the bridges again), Cloud went up to the edge of the ledge he was on and slid down the side of the rock. He met the others as he reached the bottom, and they ran on round the side of Mt. Corel towards the final bridge that would take them back onto the continent.

The final bridge was much more secure than the other bridges, despite it being a rope bridge. The bridge stretched across another long chasm on the mountains, lowering down gently towards a final ledge near the foot of the final mountain. Many of the short wooden planks that made up the bridge had been replaced over the years, some still fairly new, so clearly people still used the bridge. Even the rope that joined the bridge to the mountain edge had been refreshed and was secure, so they were not too worried about falling off. Even so, they still held on tightly onto the rope handrail. Just in case.

Barret continued his silence all the way down the bridge, although he moved ahead of the others rather briskly, his large boots making the bridge shudder slightly. He ignored Cloud's protests for him to slow down and moved hurriedly ahead, almost deliberately, although no one could figure out why. Eventually they gave up calling to him and let him go on, where he reached the end of the bridge and ran off further ahead of them, disappearing behind a rock face.


	40. Part 04: Chapter 40

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty**

When Cloud and the others finally reached the bottom of the rope bridge and onto the bottom ledge of Mt. Corel, there was absolutely no sign of Barret anywhere. He had run off somewhere, but they couldn't see him. Even when they called out to him he didn't answer them.

"Barret!" Tifa called. Her voice echoed throughout the mountain and sounded back to them, but there was no reply. She looked at Cloud, who shrugged back at her. He had no idea where Barret was.

"He is somewhere nearby," Red XIII confirmed. He was standing on a large chunk of rock, his head high to sniff the air. "His scent is still in the air." He took a deeper sniff. "There are others, too. Humans… and metal. But Barret is definitely there." He jumped down to Cloud.

"Hey," Aeris said suddenly, running over. "Has anyone else noticed Barret acting strangely since we entered Mt. Corel?"

Cloud nodded. "I always thought it was because of the Mako Reactor, but it's not like Barret to be quiet about it." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Normally he'd have a rant, going on about how much he hates the Shinra." He thought silently for a moment, before he looked up at Tifa. "Tifa, you've known Barret longer. What do you think?"

"I don't know," Tifa admitted. "I was part of AVALANCHE, but I didn't really know much about Barret. I just ran The 7th Heaven and kept people from intruding into the base. I didn't go on any missions until the No. 5 Reactor…" She turned away and walked to the edge of the ridge, looking down into the chasm. "Barret never talked about himself much, other than his beliefs that the Shinra were killing the Planet with their reactors. We – that is me, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge – never questioned him about it. We all shared the same hatred.

"Jessie had her own reasons for fighting the Shinra – her father was killed in a weapons experiment, and they blamed it on his incompetence, so her mother got nothing. Biggs and Wedge had their reasons too, as did I. Barret… I've never asked what his reason was." She turned back to Cloud, looking at him earnestly. "We just followed whatever he told us to do."

Cloud looked at her earnest eyes, and eventually nodded. He was about to say something to her when the sound of angry shouting echoed from ahead of them. Everyone jumped and turned towards the mountain path heading out towards the plains. Cloud signalled to the others to follow, and they ran down the path.

* * *

**North Corel**

More angry shouts could be heard as they ran – all human, as Red XIII had said. They sounded very angry indeed, filled with curses of outrage and fury, but there was no sign of Barret. They got closer and closer, until finally Cloud's team turned a corner and skidded to a stop, looking ahead of them.

Barret was standing just a few metres ahead of them between the mountain wall and what looked like the back of tent made of shaggy cloth. There were three men in front of him, a lot smaller than Barret, but they had extremely angry looks on their faces. Tifa made to run forward, but Cloud put his hand out in front of her to stop her. She looked at him, but he shook his head.

As they watched, one of the three men stepped forward and stood in front of Barret. The edge of his mouth twitched slightly as he struggled to contain the emotions welling up inside of him. Finally he swallowed, before suddenly clenching his fist and swinging it forwards.

It met Barret's jaw with a loud crack, and the others all gasped in shock, Cloud grasping the hilt of his sword. There was a momentary pause as the man stood poised with his fist in the air, and Barret's head tilted to the side from the punch, until the man finally lowered his arm and stepped back, his sudden burst of anger dying down just a little. Only when he stepped back did Barret move again, but he made no move to strike the man back. He just stood there, his face blank.

"Well, lookey here!" the man who punched Barret exclaimed mockingly, motioning to Barret. "Never thought I'd see your face again. They kick you out of another town or somethin'? You destroy everything you touch."

Barret remained perfectly still, his arms flat by his sides. Cloud noticed that his muscles were relaxed, as though he wasn't even angry. Normally Barret would have torn this man to pieces, but instead he just stood there and took the abuse that the man was throwing at him, ignoring the sneering faces of the other men.

"You got a lot of balls comin' back here!" the man continued, the anger rising again as he clenched his fists. He turned sharply and motioned to the land behind him. "Look at this place! It's all your fault North Corel turned into a garbage heap!" He looked back at Barret, who was still silent. "Why doncha say something? Or did ya forget what you done here already?"

The three men glared at Barret sternly through their angry eyes. Barret looked slowly from one to the other, hardly able to meet their gazes. Yet he accepted their condemning gazes in turn, before he sighed heavily and lowered his head to look at the dry, dirt-covered ground.

"…I'm sorry…" was all he could muster as a reply.

"#!" one of the other men said with a grunt, looking down his nose at Barret standing pathetically before them. "You ain't even worth the effort."

The third man nodded in agreement. "Don't waste your time talkin' to that Techno-freak!" he snorted.

With that, the three men all turned around and walked away from Barret, back into the 'garbage heap' that they called North Corel. Barret still didn't move as they left, and he didn't look up either. Behind him the others continued to watch, Tifa with her hand over her heart and a look of sympathy on her face, as well as confusion. Why did the men hate Barret so much? She watched as Cloud released his hold on his sword and walked slowly towards Barret.

"You heard 'em…" Barret said suddenly. Cloud froze. Barret must have heard them approaching. He watched as Barret sagged heavily once again. "It's my fault this town was… destroyed…"

Before Cloud could say anything to him Barret was up and off, breaking into a run towards North Corel and out of sight once again. He jumped as he saw Tifa run past him, trying to catch up to him before he ran too far. Cloud left her to it – she would probably have a better chance at catching up to Barret than he or the others did. Still… he also wanted some answers. He turned and nodded to the others standing patiently behind him, and together they slowly walked into the town of North Corel.

Entering the town, they saw why one of the three men attacking Barret had called it a garbage heap. There was hardly anything left worthy enough to call it a town, other than what had been made out of rubble and rock and whatever else they could find.

There were a few rundown houses standing, but that was all. Some of the houses had been built out of rock, made as best they could by the coal miners still living here. But other houses were merely tents made out of cloth that was barely able to keep out the rain. It was a complete contrast to the lively holiday resort of Costa del Sol, full of brand new buildings and bright, light colours. This place was mainly grey, like the mountain.

As for the people living in North Corel, none of them looked very happy. Their faces were long and drawn with the hard times that had been forced upon them. There were few women around; probably in the homes making sure the children didn't play in the rubble. The men were outside either running the odd few stalls they had, or collecting bits of metal to try and make something that would get some revenue into the town. The stalls were not very good, the items they had were very basic, and some had clearly been repaired from bad damage, and it still showed despite their efforts. Cloud could see why they had built the town in this specific area – travellers had no choice but to pass through when crossing the mountain.

When Cloud and his friends walked past the stalls, they could see the hopeful faces of the people, praying that they would buy something to get even just a little bit of money in. Cloud wondered what had happened to these people to leave them in such a miserable state, but he felt he had a good idea.

He saw Aeris walk over to one of the stalls – an items stall. Even though there was nothing particularly useful on the stalls, Aeris purchased a small bangle. She felt so sorry for the people, she just had to give something, and she knew they wouldn't accept handouts from them. The owner of the stall thanked Aeris as she handed him the money, and Aeris just smiled.

She caught Cloud watching her as she walked away from the stall, and she shrugged. Cloud felt the corners of his mouth move into a faint smile that no one else could see, but Aeris noticed it. She just beamed back at him, making Cloud tilt his head to the side in puzzlement. What was she smiling about? For some weird reason he felt a hot flush began to spread across his face, and he quickly turned away from her, scratching the back of his head.

"Cloud," said Red XIII suddenly.

Cloud looked up, relieved to feel the flush fading from his face, and looked to where Red XIII was standing and nodding his head. Looking past the hound he spotted Barret and Tifa next to what looked like an air station. Sure enough, there was a sign nearby saying 'Ropeway Station'. There was a large blue air cab standing on the rails attached to large cables heading away from the town. Tifa and Barret were standing on the platform, Barret turned away from Tifa as she spoke to him, but he didn't seem to be listening.

Tifa looked up as Cloud and the others approached. She seemed relieved to see them, and Cloud was sure he could see tears in the corner of her eyes. She then turned back to Barret, who continued to stand with his back to them, as though they weren't even there. Aeris was the first to break the silence.

"Barret, what happened?" she asked simply.

Slowly Barret turned his head and looked at Aeris, right into her calming eyes. Looking into the eyes of the Ancient, he felt a pang of regret.

"Sorry," he said simply, still looking at her.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, repeating the question just a little more harshly. Although he had pretty much guessed what had happened to the people of this town and what Barret had to do with it, he wanted to hear it from Barret firsthand. After all, he might have been wrong, although he doubted it highly.

Barret turned his head further and looked at Cloud's stern face, before turning away from them all again. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently on the ground, clearly trying to make a decision. Cloud in turn crossed his own arms and tapped his own foot, waiting for Barret to hurry and make up his mind. He didn't have to wait long, for a moment later Barret nodded to himself and turned back to them.

"My hometown used to be around here."

"What do you mean 'used to'?" asked Red XIII.

Barret shrugged. "It ain't here no more," he answered. "Heard it got buried… in just four years."

"But how could those people say those terrible things?" Aeris asked. Cloud glanced at her. Clearly she hadn't figured it out like he had.

"An' it's my fault," Barret said, making everyone jump in surprise. "ALL my fault."

* * *

_The town of Corel was built at the edge of a small desert close to the edge of Mt. Corel and its neighbouring mountains. Being so close to the desert meant that the desert sands often blew in from the east and sent faint trails of sand across the streets, making it rather dusty. Even so, it was a calm and serene place._

_During the day when the women were at home taking care of the houses, and the children were out playing on the sandy streets, the men would venture out of the town towards the even smaller town of North Corel. North Corel was built especially for the miners who travelled from Corel each day, entering the mountains for a long day digging coal before returning home when the sun set._

* * *

"…My hometown, Corel's always been a coal mining town," Barret explained. He felt slightly awkward having to explain his own past, but he went on regardless. "It's so dusty, but calm and so poor… A real small town, this one. That's the first time I ever heard the word 'Mako Reactor' mentioned since that time…" 

The streets were quiet on that particular day, for it was a very important day for the mining town of Corel. Their mothers had taken the children inside, so as not to disturb the important visitors who had come in from the Eastern Continent in order to talk to the village leader. This meeting could mean big changes for Corel and its people, so they didn't want to annoy the visitors.

* * *

_There was a luxurious red car parked outside the main house, bearing the all-familiar logo that signified it as a Shinra car. Sure enough, standing outside the house and around the car were four Shinra soldiers, clad in their blue uniforms, helmets down to protect them from the gradually rising wind, bringing with it faint specks of sand from the desert. Wherever they could, children peered through their bedroom windows and looked out at the soldiers, both in awe and also in fear._

_Inside the hut, the meeting was well under way. Although many of the men had gone on to the coalmines for the day, the most important members and miners or the village had stayed behind and were in the village headman's house, along with the visitors from Shinra. Dressed seductively in her long silk red dress, completely out of place in the sandy town, and guarded by her own personal escort, Scarlet waited patiently for the leader's answer to her proposal._

_Barret stood near to the couch in the middle of the hut, looking extremely anxious. He no longer had his gun-arm, and instead had two normal-looking hands, slightly blackened from days of mining coal from the mountain. He looked rather anxious, for the meeting had reached a deadlock._

"_What are you going to do?" the village headman said suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had spread throughout the house. "The only one against this is Dyne…"_

_Everyone in the house turned to the man who was sat silently on the couch, his head lowered to avoid the gazes of the people. Like Barret, his hands were slightly blackened from coal mining, but he did not have an anxious expression. His expression was defiant, almost hateful. When the Shinra made their proposal to build a Mako Reactor in the mountain and replace their coal energy, he had immediately refused to cooperate. He had been mining all his life, like Barret, but clearly he was the only one that valued its importance._

"_I am definitely against it, no matter what," Dyne said suddenly, lifting his gaze to look at the village headman. "There's nothing to talk about if you're thinking about throwing away our coal! Our coal's been protected for generations. Our father's, and theirs before them, risked their lives for it. We have no right to throw it away so easily!"_

"_But listen, Dyne," Barret said reasonably, trying his hardest to make Dyne understand. Dyne was a very traditional man, with traditional thinking. Although he himself was also fond of their tradition as coal miners, he knew that things had to change for the better. "No one uses coal nowadays. It's the sign of the times."_

"_Right," Scarlet said suddenly. "Everything is Mako, now. It'll be all right, Dyne. Shinra, Inc. will guarantee your livelihood once the Mako Reactor is completed." Dyne looked at her, clearly not convinced, although everyone else was._

"_Listen, Dyne," Barret said, trying again. "I don't want my wife, Myrna, to suffer anymore."_

_Dyne bolted out of the couch angrily. "I know how you feel!" he said, almost shouting in the house and surprising everyone. "I feel the same way too, damn it! But even so, I won't give away our coal mines!"_

_He stopped shouting as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he spun around to face the village headman. "Dyne…" the leader said calmly. "You've got to understand."_

_Dyne stared angrily at the village leader, until his eyes softened and he felt the grip on his shoulder slackened. Slowly Dyne turned his head and looked at Barret, and then gradually around at everyone else in the room. All the other miners had all made up their minds. Every last one of them, born and bred in Corel and spending all their days in the mines, were prepared to give up their coal in the hope of an easier life run by Mako. Through the corner of his eye he could see Scarlet's smug smile as she realised she had won._

_Dyne also realised this then, and he sighed heavily. He let himself sink back down onto the couch, his thinner frame sliding easily into the soft cushions. He lowered his head to the ground. Like Barret, his thoughts drifted to his own wife, Eleanor, and his young daughter, Marlene. Even with the coal there wasn't much money in the town, and Eleanor did have a hard time taking care of Marlene all those days by herself. If there was Mako energy, he would be able to spend more time with her, and her life would be easier. Dyne sighed. He had no other choice but to give in._

_So, slowly, Dyne nodded his head._

* * *

"That's how the Corel Reactor was built… …and completed. We all thought it would bring us an easier life."

* * *

_An ear-bursting explosion sounded from within one of the houses of Corel. The window turned charcoal black just seconds before it shattered, sending shards of glass into the air. Flames erupted from the broken pane, followed by a cloud of thick, black smoke that poured out of all the broken windows and into the air. The smoke rose up in large, choking clouds and spread out over the town of Corel._

_All around the town, the rest of the houses were on fire as well, set alight by torches thrown in through the open doors, and flame throwers that had targeted each house specifically. Nearly all the houses had fallen down, their frames lying in pathetic flaming shards on the ground. The flames continued to lick through the rest of the houses still standing, until they lost their own fight and crumbled to the ground._

_There were people running everywhere as the fire spread rapidly throughout the town. A few people who had made it out of their houses had fallen once they were outside, caught by either the flames or by the choking smoke. One man, who had just escaped the burning inferno that had once been his home, lost his battle for survival and fell face forward onto the ground, his last breath choked out of him by the smoke, along with the rest of his family._

* * *

"It happened when Dyne and I were out of town for a few days," Barret said. He looked down at the ground. "Corel was burned to the ground by Shinra troops. All the townspeople… all my relatives… Everyone… everything…" 

"Shinra troops?" Cloud exclaimed. "What for?"

Barret narrowed his eyes angrily. The flames of the fire were almost burning in his eyes as he remembered seeing the flames ripping through his hometown. "There was an explosion at the reactor," he explained. "Shinra blamed the accident on the people. Said it was done by a rebel faction."

"That's so terrible!" said Tifa in horror. It reminded her of Sector 7, when dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of innocent civilians were killed when the Plate fell, all just to get rid of AVALANCHE. She closed her eyes silently for a few moments – a silent prayer to the many more people dead because of the Shinra. Now she hated them even more than before.

"Well, I guess that's true," Barret admitted. "But more than Shinra, I couldn't forgive myself." He folded his arms and turned away, his face sour as he pouted in disgust. "Never should've gone along with the building of the reactor…"

"Don't blame yourself," Tifa assured him, giving him a comforting tap on the shoulder. "We were all fooled by the promises Shinra made back then."

"That's why… that's why I get so pissed off!" the man shouted suddenly. His gaze fell down on his gun-arm replacing his right hand. He placed his left hand firmly around the cold metal barrel, feeling the unnatural texture that should have been flesh, blood and bone. It was so unnatural, an eternal reminder. "Not only did they take advantage of me…… But I lost my wife, Myrna, too…"

He went silent then, along with everyone else. In the background they could hear the sound of scraping metal across the rocky floor, able to guess what happened after the fire. The survivors, however many they were, left the burned ruins that was Corel and settled home in North Corel, saving whatever money they could to survive. Aeris wanted to go back into the town and purchase a few more bangles, but Red XIII put his tail out in front of her and shook his head. The people of North Corel may have been poor, but they also probably didn't want the pity of outsiders. Aeris looked at him, and then slowly nodded her head.

"Hey, everyone!" Everyone turned to look behind them, towards the small office box that stood at the corner of the platform. A man was leaning out of the small window, looking at them with a look of impatience. "If you want to go to the 'Gold Saucer', hurry and get on!"

Cloud looked around at the sombre and somewhat weary faces of the others. Barret had turned away from them all again, refusing to meet anyone's gaze, but he got the impression that he was glaring at the ground and cursing the Shinra in his mind. Tifa and Aeris both looked down, their gazes to the floor, thinking about Barret's story. He could see no expression in Red XIII's face, and Yuffie looked like she wasn't even listening, turned away and polishing the sharp edges of her shuriken. Cloud remembered Aeris asking him on the ridge before Mt. Corel if they could stop at Gold Saucer, and he didn't see the harm in just going there…

"Ride the Ropeway?" he asked aloud.

Aeris looked up at him and smiled, clasping her hands together happily as she nodded her head firmly. Cloud nodded back, and headed towards the open doors of the air cab. When he disappeared inside, Barret sighed heavily.

"Dyne was my best friend," he said, half under his breath. "We was close ever since we was kids…" He shook his head firmly, shaking off the memory, and headed into the air cab after Cloud.

Tifa, Aeris and Red XIII watched as Barret disappeared inside the air cab. They half expected – and half hoped even, that they would soon hear Barret's angry voice yelling at Cloud for some reason or whatever, meaning that Barret was picking up and things would get back to normal. But as they waited, they heard no sounds coming from the air cab.

"I never knew," said Tifa softly. "Barret never said a thing…"

"…………" said Aeris.

"…………" said Red XIII.

Behind them, Yuffie was still busy polishing her shuriken with a cloth, her expression growing darker with every second that passed. Eventually she threw down her cloth and turned sharply to the others, her eyes glaring.

"I'm not sympathising with Barret!" she shouted, so suddenly that it made Tifa and Aeris jump. Red XIII slowly looked up at her as she shook her fists. "He never should have trusted Shinra, Inc.…"

With that she turned on her heels sharply and stormed off towards the air cab, almost throwing the door shut behind her, although with its weak handles it swung back open again.

Tifa watched her go in, her face silent. She again began to wonder about everybody's reasons for fighting Shinra. She had her reason, just like Cloud had his, and Aeris and Barret, too. Even Red XIII had a reason, although Tifa wondered if he really did plan to leave the group when they reached his hometown, wherever that was. He had never said anything.

She had to wonder about Yuffie, though. Even though it was clear that she didn't like Shinra one little bit, she had never said anything about that being her reason for going with them. In fact she had quite literally forced herself onto the team, but no one had refused her. She was a talented fighter, despite being only sixteen. She was also a Materia Hunter, and she was good at her job. Tifa wondered what her true motivations were.

"…………" she breathed silently. She looked down for a moment, before she forced a smile on her face and turned to Aeris and Red XIII. "We better go on!" she said, trying her hardest to sound cheerful.

Aeris looked back at her, and Tifa realised that she had been thinking exactly the same thing. Slowly Aeris nodded, and the three of them all entered the air cab that would take them to the Gold Saucer.

* * *

**Emerald:** Apologies for the lack of symbols in the - ahem - swearing. For some reason removed them. Beats me why. 


	41. Part 04: Chapter 41

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-One**

**Gold Saucer**

Moods lifted once the air cab came to life and slid out of Ropeway Station, carried up into the air by the long cables they had seen on the ridge, taking them towards the Gold Saucer theme park.

Aeris and Tifa both pressed themselves against the windows and looked out as the land gradually fell further away from them and swept past. Land that they knew they would eventually have to walk across in order to head further south. Looking ahead they could see the mountain range spreading further south, and a vast forest separated from them by yet another river they would have to cross.

They were distracted from their map plotting when a large patch of yellow suddenly swept its way beneath them and made them look down. The green grass that lined the floor rapidly faded as yellow sand replaced it, swamping the grass and choking it out till nothing but sand remained. Unfortunately the sand did not belong to a beautiful beach like Costa del Sol. It belonged to a vast desert that stretched across the entire area.

Tifa remembered reading about the desert in the Midgar Times – an entire squad of Shinra soldiers had entered the desert and sank in quicksand. The desert was full of them, and no one knew just how deep they ran. She certainly didn't want to get lost in their without some form of transportation.

Lifting her gaze away from the sand and looking ahead, she quickly spotted the Gold Saucer. They had only seen it from a distance before outside the perimeter of Costa del Sol, but now it was rapidly coming up close into a perfect view. Even Yuffie was forced to break out of the silent mood she had been in since they set off and look out of the windows to see it.

It was not a disappointment. The Gold Saucer looked absolutely spectacular from above, and it would look even better at night. Up close it still looked like a giant gold flower with giant leaves, possibly even taller than Shinra Headquarters back in Midgar. Brightly coloured lights shone out from almost every leaf, shining through the air and reflecting off the gold plating that covered the entire building. Sliding open the air cab window the sound of carnival music hit their ears – festive and happy.

They looked down as they passed near one of the giant leaves, where a roller coaster sped past. They only briefly saw the people there, hearing their joyful screams for only a split second before they sped off back into the park. Aeris could barely contain her excitement and jumped up happily, grabbing hold of Yuffie's arm and pulling her round to see the roller coaster before it disappeared, for they were already beginning to descend to their departure point.

They landed on the very bottom 'leaf' of the theme park, entering a small tunnel that turned dark as they reached the entrance. The sound of the music became louder as they entered, and after a second two they emerged from the dark tunnel and out into the light again, this time inside the park.

Aeris was the first to jump out of the air cab and look around. She saw the tunnel that they had come out of, and saw that it was shaped like the head of a Mog, and that they had come out of its mouth. Turning around she saw a man walking nearby, also dressed like a big, fat, cuddly chick. The man spotted her looking at him, and did a fancy little bow.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer," he said cheerfully.

Aeris beamed. Other people she had met dressed in mascot outfits were usually very grumpy, having to force a cheerful smile and a cheerful tone when they spoke. This man did not sound at all unhappy. The others came out of the air cab then after saying farewell to the driver, and together they headed towards the entrance leading right into the park. There was a woman, clearly one of the park's staff, waiting for them as they approached.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer," she announced to the group, sounding just as genuinely cheerful as the Mog-man. "Are you together? A single pass is 3,000 gil, or you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30,000 gil."

Cloud turned to the others. A lifetime pass to the Gold Saucer would grant them entry any time they liked without ever paying again. The other advantage to the lifetime pass is that it applied to all the members of a particular group, and not just one specific person. The question was, did they have 30,000 gil?

Slowly but surely, the others began to empty their pockets. Everyone except Red XIII and Yuffie, that is. Red XIII had nothing to carry money in, and Yuffie just watched with interest as they emptied their pockets. Tifa managed to fish out 3,000 gil from the pocket of her skirt, and Aeris pulled out 1,500. Barret pulled out an impressive 7,000 gil that he had kept on him from the AVALANCHE savings. The only money Cloud had was whatever he picked up from his own jobs, the only recent ones being those he had done for AVALANCHE. So he threw his 3,500 gil onto the floor along with the others.

"That makes 15,000 gil exactly," said Tifa after she quickly counted it. "That's enough for five single passes, but there are six of us."

Aeris sagged heavily. "That means one of us will have to wait," she said.

"Not necessarily," said Red XIII suddenly. Everyone looked up at him curiously, wondering what he meant. "There is still one person who has yet to empty their pockets." He slowly turned his head to the left, where Yuffie was kneeling.

One by one the others caught and turned their gazes to Yuffie. The young hunter blinked several times before she realised what they were waiting for. "No way!" she exclaimed, shaking her head furiously. "My cash is MY cash! I earned it!"

"Stole it, most like," said Barret angrily. He stood up and pointed his gun-arm at the girl. "Empty yer pockets already!"

Yuffie spun around and tried to run, but the moment she turned Tifa, who had quickly moved behind her to prevent the girl's escape, caught her. Tifa grabbed the girl roughly by her arms and lifted her up, turning the girl until she was upside down, her legs kicking wildly in the air like an out-of-control wildcat, and gently shook her.

As Tifa shook the girl, things began to fall from the girl's pockets and clatter onto the floor. Gil, items, and even the materia that she had so clearly stolen from Costa del Sol – they all clattered onto the floor in front of them. Cloud particularly noticed the familiar red ball of Materia that Priscilla had given him back in Junon – the sneaky hunter had clearly swiped it when Cloud hadn't noticed. He ignored that for the moment, for the most important thing was counting the gil that she had, and she clearly had a lot of it.

"1,000… 3,000… 7,000…" Cloud whispered under his breath, counting it up. Tifa finally put the girl down as he counted, but kept a hand on her wrist to stop her from taking it back. Eventually Cloud finished his counting, and looked up. "15,000 gil exactly. Are you sure this is all yours?"

"Of course it is!" spat the girl. "Besides, that guy in the stall wasn't going to use it, so I claimed it!"

Cloud shook his head, and picked up all the money laid out on the floor. "Well, in any case," he said. "We have 30,000 gil." The others all nodded their heads anxiously, wondering just how much of Yuffie's money she had actually stolen (or how much of it actually belonged to them). Cloud was thinking the same, but he turned back to the woman, who was waiting for them. He handed the full 30,000 gil to her, and she smiled.

"Thank you very much," she said. She pulled out a Gold Ticket from her pocket and handed it to Cloud. "If you have a Gold Ticket, you can come and go freely into the park… as long as you don't lose it. Here at the Gold Saucer, there are many places where you must pay with GP. Just think of 'GP' as money that you can only use at the Gold Saucer. GP can be redeemed at the games in the Wonder Square and at the Chocobo Races. Your GP limit is 10,000, so please be careful. Please enjoy yourselves."

She then stepped aside from the door, allowing the group entrance into the park. The group went in, Yuffie sauntering slowly at the back of the group, back in a sulk now that all her cash had been taken from her. Even the Shiva Materia had been taken back from her.

The main Station of the Gold Saucer was a very plain entry point. It was circular shaped, with a number of wide holes bordering the edges, each with a sign above it. In the Gold Saucer, the only way to get from section to section was through those special tubes that carried them safely from place to place. Aeris ran into the Station first and went straight to the map at the head of the room.

"Wow!" she exclaimed cheerfully, looking at all the wonderful attractions available in the park. "Let's have fun!" She turned towards the others behind her. "I know this isn't the right time to do this," she added. She stopped as she spotted Barret standing with his back to them, lost in his thoughts. Aeris ran over and stood beside him. "Hey, Barret, cheer up!"

Barret didn't reply for a moment or two, and didn't look at Aeris. "…I ain't in no cheery mood," he said finally, his voice extremely quiet. "So jes' leave me alone."

"Really? That's too bad," said Aeris. She spun round on her heel and ran away from Barret. She instead ran over to Cloud and linked his arm, putting her head fondly on his shoulder. "Let's go!" she exclaimed.

Ignoring Cloud's befuddled face, Tifa ran to Aeris with a rather shocked expression on her face. "Wasn't that a little harsh, Aeris?" she whispered. She had never seen Aeris act so harsh before.

Aeris lifted her head from Cloud's shoulder and looked at Tifa, not at all bothered by Tifa's almost angry glare. "Just act normal when this happens," she advised her, giving the young woman a wink.

Tifa stared, not entirely sure whether Aeris's thoughts were the same as hers. "You think so?" she asked.

"Of course!" Aeris replied confidently. She let go of Cloud, who still looked extremely confused, and ran back over to Barret. She stopped next to him again, a sly and knowing smile already on her face, and slowly reached up on her toes to get as close to his face as she could. "We're gonna go play…" she said to him.

That seemed to work. Barret's face creased up as a large frown appeared, and he clenched his fist tightly. He started to shake slightly, until finally… "So PLAY!" he exploded, the sound of his angry voice making everyone, including Aeris, jump slightly. "…messin' round #! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!"

With that he turned and ran towards one of the transportation tubes, the one marked for the 'Wonder Square'. Everyone watched as he jumped down through the hole and disappeared, a loud whooshing sound being the only signs that he was off towards the Wonder Square. When he was gone Aeris slowly turned back to the others, a little surprised.

"…I think he's mad," she said, stating the obvious.

"He'll be fine," Tifa assured her. "He seems to be doing a little better now. We'd better be careful. Sephiroth might be around."

Aeris sighed heavily. "I wish we could just forget everything and have fun!" She shook her head briefly and ran to another of the tubes, this one signalled to head for the Chocobo Races. She turned and gave the group a small wave before jumping down through the hole and disappearing with a whoosh.

Red XIII and Yuffie soon followed suit, choosing their own destinations separate from everyone else. This left Tifa and Cloud the only ones left in the Station.

"Shall we?" asked Tifa.

Cloud looked at her for a moment, and then slowly nodded his head. Even though Aeris wanted to have fun in the park, Cloud was a little distracted. He highly doubted that Sephiroth would be in the Gold Saucer, and every second they wasted there would mean losing more ground between them and Sephiroth. The Shinra were also following him as well. Still, he didn't think it would hurt for them to take maybe an hour's break. It would probably cheer them all up a little.

* * *

The first place that Tifa and Cloud headed to was the Wonder Square. The journey through the tubes had been exhilarating – it felt rather like travelling on a wind slide. They were almost sucked easily down the tube before turning upwards as they shot up the stalk of the Gold Saucer structure. 

When they emerged it was with the sound of a loud 'whoosh' as they flew straight up out of the tubes, the wind blowing them upwards, until they landed safely and securely on the ground. They took a moment to recover themselves from the journey, and then looked around at the Wonder Square. The tubes had actually taken them to long stem of the leaf structure, and the Wonder Square lay just ahead.

Tifa's eyes widened as she saw it. There were stairs and a lift leading into a long tube that led the way into the Wonder Square itself, but she could already see the flashing lights and hear the ringing sounds that made a successful arcade. On the side of the glass-panelled corridor leading into the arcade centre there was a large notice board flashing up adverts of all the games available, and there were a lot to choose from. She was so glad that Aeris insisted on them coming here, and her spirits were lifting already. She turned to Cloud with a hopeful look in her eyes. He looked back at her and shrugged. Tifa jumped for joy and ran over to the notice board and description of the games.

While she was busy choosing a game to play when they entered the arcade, Cloud stayed where he was by the tube. Unfortunately the sight of the arcade ahead of them did not so easily lift his spirits, and he wasn't very much impressed by the Gold Saucer. His mind stayed entirely focus on the job that they were currently disregarding. Sephiroth could have been on the plains while they were in the air cab, heading towards his next destination. Then, he realised as he crossed his arms in thought, they would surely have spotted him crossing the plains as they flew past. Maybe he was in the Gold Saucer-

"Hey you!" came a peculiar, slightly mechanical voice. "What're you lookin' so down for?"

Cloud looked up in surprise and searched round for the source of the voice. He eventually spotted someone – or rather, some_thing_ heading towards him.

It looked like a little black cat with a white muzzle, riding on the head of a gigantic stuffed Mog. Cloud stared as it headed towards him. The cat had a little yellow crown sitting on its head and a red cape tied around its neck. In its white-gloved hands was a yellow megaphone, it was clearly a worker in the Gold Saucer. The Mog was mechanical, as was the cat, Cloud presumed, controlled by two small joysticks barely noticeable on the Mog's head, its inner controls hidden by its furry covering and sealed by a large zip at the back. The cat seemed to grin at Cloud as it plodded over to him, guiding the Mog over with the joysticks. Although slightly awkward at walking he managed it quite well, until the Mog and the cat stopped in front of Cloud.

"How 'bout it?" the cat asked him cheerfully. "Want me to read your fortune? A bright future! A happy future! Oh, but don't hold it against me if it's not a good prediction!" The cat stopped and seemed to flush a little, making Cloud wonder whether it was mechanical or not. "Oh, so sorry. I'm a fortune telling machine. The name's Cait Sith!"

Cloud stared at the cat that called itself Cait. He had heard of such fortune telling machines, but they were only a cheap gimmick. Creating them with the ability to move and talk of their own free will was just a stunt to impress customers and keep them in use. It was also clear that whoever had made this particular machine had given it personality as well. Apart from it being a machine on the inside, on the outside it was practically a living being.

"You can only read the future?" asked Cloud, deciding to ignore his inner debate on the existence of the creature.

Cait almost seemed to jump back, the Mog's arms waving around in the air as though in shock. "You kidding?" he, as Cloud decided it was a he, exclaimed. "I can find missing things, missing people, anything!"

Cloud turned to Tifa, who had walked up beside him after noticing the cat and his Mog counterpart head over to Cloud. She nodded slowly at him as he looked at her, answering his silent question. Cloud nodded back and then turned to Cait.

"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?"

Cait's black eyes seemed to light up. "Sephiroth, right? Okay, here goes!"

Cloud watched as Cait pressed a few practically invisible buttons on the Mog's head, and then vigorously moved the two joysticks back and forth. In response the Mog made a peculiar mechanical grinding sound and began to rock back and forth in opposition to Cait's movements. After a few moments of this Cait stopped, and a small ticket slid up out of the Mog's head. Cait tore it off and held it out to Cloud with a beaming smile. Cloud took it and looked down at it.

"…Ordinary luck," he read blankly, with Tifa looking over his shoulder. "It will be an active fortune. Give in to the good will of others, and something big'll happen after summer. …Wait… what's this?"

"Huh?" Cait said. He leaned over the Mog and snatched the paper back from Cloud. He was surprisingly flexible for a machine. His eyes scanned the paper for a second, before he carelessly threw it aside. "Let me try it again."

He went through the entire process again. Cloud and Tifa watched as the Mog rocked back and forth, its feet moving with them. Only Cait's balance on top was what kept the Mog from falling over. Another slip of paper then emerged from the head of the Mog, and Cait tore it off and gave it to Cloud, who read it again.

"Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky colour is… blue?" Cloud shook his head and threw the paper aside, growing irritated. "…Forget it."

Cait looked up desperately, clutching his megaphone in his hand. "Wait, wait, give me another chance!" he pleaded, sounding as desperate as he looked. He almost jumped up and down on the Mog's head, trying to keep their attention. "Wait! Let me try it again!"

Cloud and Tifa sighed heavily and waited while the rather irritating Cait Sith went through its entire fortune telling process for a third time. This time Cait pushed it harder and the Mog rocked vigorously back and forth, almost slipping over itself in Cait's desperation. Cloud almost got the impression that the machine wanted to talk to them. Perhaps it felt lonely just talking to people day after day, or…

He never got the chance to finish his thoughtful debate, for Cait had finished and was already tearing off the new slip of paper with its last prediction. For a moment Cloud considered just walking away without reading it, for it was sure to be a useless prediction. Still, the cat seemed to want to talk, so he sighed and took the paper. He read it silently this time, and then his blue eyes opened wide.

"…What the?" he cried.

"What does it say?" asked Tifa, pushing herself on her toes so she could see over Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud held the paper up and read it out loud. "What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear."

He lowered the paper and looked at Tifa, the expression in his eyes showing exactly what he was thinking. It sounded like a rather chilling prediction, and was certainly not anything like Cait's previous two attempts. Even Cait looked a little chilled by it, for his face was set and the Mog's body was shivering slightly as though terrified by what it had come up with.

"I don't know if it's good OR bad…" Cait said finally. He put his megaphone down and scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "This's the first time I ever got something like THIS." He picked up his megaphone again, and looked at Cloud and Tifa. "Then shall we?"

"Excuse me?" asked Tifa, wondering what the cat was leading up to.

Cait sighed and leaned forward on the Mog. "As a fortune teller," he began, speaking as though it was an obvious assumption. "I can't help but think about this. If I don't see what it leads to, I won't be able to relax." He suddenly jumped upright on the Mog, megaphone raised high. "That's why I'm going with you!"

Tifa slowly turned to Cloud. "Is it all right, Cloud?" she asked him.

"I'm comin' with you no matter WHAT you say!" Cait said with sudden determinism. As if to prove his point, he bounded over behind Cloud and moved the Mog's arms so they gave him a harsh push towards the arcade, making him stagger and he almost fell over.

"H…hey!" Cloud snapped. He looked back at Cait, and then, realising that they weren't going to get rid of the cat anytime soon, he shrugged.

* * *

While a very happy Cait dragged off Tifa and Cloud towards the arcade of the Wonder Square, the others were all busy with their own exploration of the Gold Saucer and its other attractions. 

Yuffie had set up her place in the Chocobo Races, standing close to the banisters that overlooked the racetrack whilst keeping an eye out for any possible security guards that were watching her. More so, she was looking out for unsuspecting customers, in particular the travellers who were unwary and often had their belongings on show. She didn't stay in any one place for long and moved quickly throughout the Chocobo Square; grinning each time she pinched a new item.

Red XIII found himself in the Event Square on the top floor of the theme park. Safely encased within the leaf's thick structure, he could see and hear everything going on. Crowds of people were lined up on benches in front of a huge stage, waiting for the next show to start. The air was heavy with the scent of popcorn, toffee apples and other such sweets. It made him feel a little sick, but seeing the people so happy made him forget about the others, at least for a little while.

As Barret emerged from the tunnel halfway up the Gold Saucer stem, he found himself at the entrance of the Battle Square. Neither the Wonder Square nor the Speed Square had impressed him at all – in fact he'd found all the noise and the people a mere annoyance. There was no place quiet in the Gold Saucer, which was what he wanted.

Yet, as he looked up at the steps leading up to the Battle Square, felt the faint twinge of a smile at the corner of his mouth. The Battle Square was, as its name said, a place for battles. It was probably the best place to let off a little steam. So he headed briskly up the steps, making sure his gun-arm was cocked and ready to fire, and went through the open entrance.

Aeris, finally, had made her way straight towards the Round Square, on one of the lower levels of the theme park. The Round Square was built on one of the open-leaves of the park, so she could see the sky up ahead of her, as well as the rest of the park. She was sure that at night, when the stars were at their fullest in the sky with all the lights of the Gold Saucer shining around, it would be a most spectacular sight.

* * *

**Emerald:** In response to blah's review – yes, I shall be doing the Cloud and Aeris date. Mainly because it is the default date, and also I've only seen the Cloud and Tifa date once. 


	42. Part 04: Chapter 42

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Two**

A full hour passed by before Cloud, Tifa and Cait Sith emerged at the entrance to the Battle Square. They had spent a riveting half an hour in the Wonder Square and its amazing attractions, from the virtual fighting system to a cute little game about a Mog learning to fly, which had amused Tifa to no end. They had found the others except Barret as they wandered around, but no one else came with them – they were too busy exploring on their own.

Cloud was the first to emerge from the hollowed out tunnels guarding the tubes and headed towards the stairs. The first thing he noticed as he looked around was that it was surprisingly quiet in this area of the park. He could still hear the faint sounds of music from the Wonder Square and screams from the Speed Square, but there were no sounds coming from the Battle Square.

When Tifa and Cait came out of the tunnel, Cait annoyed at the wind tunnels ruffling his fur, Cloud's gaze fell on a Shinra guard who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. His gaze was caught by the way the guard was standing unnaturally still and rigid, as though someone was behind him and holding him upright, almost like a puppet. Looking closer Cloud could see a blank expression behind the shadowed out visor, as well as the faint trickle of a red liquid at the corner of the soldier's mouth.

"!" Cloud exclaimed suddenly. The sound of his cry seemed to shake the soldier free, for he suddenly fell to his knees and collapsed face forward onto the floor, his helmet falling off his head and rolling across the floor. "Mm?"

He ran forward and knelt beside the soldier, reaching just under the rim of his helmet to feel for a pulse on the side of his neck. There was no throb, no gentle rhythm that signified blood pulsating through veins, not a single pulse. Cloud could see that the soldier's eyes were still open in an expression of total surprise.

"Dead…" Cloud whispered under his breath, fighting off the cold shiver that was threatening to run down his spine.

"What?" Tifa said. She ran beside Cloud and knelt down beside the soldier. Seeing the soldier's frozen face she reached out and gently shut the soldier's eyes, letting him sleep. Then she looked up as she saw Cloud climb to his feet and begin to run up the stairs towards the Battle Square, with one hand firmly around the handle of his sword. "Wa… wait Cloud!"

She and Cait followed Cloud up the stairs and ran inside the square. They found Cloud inside, standing in the middle of the waiting area just outside the arena. She and Cait stopped next to him, and looked around at what he was looking at.

The waiting area was filled with people, all of them lying on the ground in small pools of blood. They were sure that they were all dead, but judging from the size of the blood pools, they hadn't been dead for too long. The two receptionists were slumped over their desks, their hair strewn over their faces, their hands still grasping onto the edges of the desks in desperation. Cloud found his fists shaking almost uncontrollably, and he fought to contain them.

"Did Sephiroth do this?" he said, barely able to suppress his anger.

Before Tifa could put her hand on his shoulder Cloud dashed forward to one of the guards lying dead in the middle of the floor. Again Cloud checked for a pulse, but he knew just from looking that the guard was dead. It made him think back to the Shinra building, when all the Shinra employees lay dead on the floor.

Thinking of that made Cloud notice something he hadn't before. There were no deep-cutting sword wounds on this guard, or the one lying dead outside. There was a wound penetrating his armour, but it was too rounded, too rough to have come from a sword, even one as long and as swift as Sephiroth's. It looked more like a gunshot wound.

"No… it's not him…" Cloud confirmed, not noticing that Tifa and Cait had stepped up behind him to look at the guard. "They're all shot… Sephiroth would never use a gun…"

He stood up as Tifa knelt down to close the dead soldier's frozen eyes, lowering her head in silent prayer for another innocent life lost, although she was secretly glad that this time it wasn't Sephiroth's doing. A moment or two after she started praying, a strange noise began to sound throughout the waiting area. It sounded like a gurgle, choked with blood. Tifa jumped to her feet and spun around just in time to see one of the female receptionists shudder awake and cough. There was at least one person alive. She and Cloud ran over to her.

"Hey, what happened!" Cloud asked quickly.

The receptionist slowly turned her head and tried to look up at Cloud and Tifa. She found she could not move very much, for each breath hurt. It was no wonder, Cloud and Tifa noted as they looked down at her, for she had two very bad bullet wounds in her chest, and blood had stained half her uniform. They very much doubted that she would live for very long.

"Ugh… ugh…" the woman mumbled, hardly able to control her own voice. She coughed, and Tifa gently rubbed her back. A few specks of blood fell onto the desk before the woman was ready to speak. "A man with a gun…" she whispered, her voice coarse. "On his arm…"

Tifa jumped back, her face rapidly turning pale. "A gun on his arm?" she cried.

She turned to look at Cloud, her eyes large and fearful in denial of what she was hearing. Cloud looked back at her, his face firm. There was no doubt that they were both thinking the same thing. They knew only one man who had a gun on his arm… and that was Barret.

"Hold it right there! And stay quiet!"

Cloud and Tifa spun round to face the entrance, in time to see two guards burst into the waiting area, guns in hand, looking around at the dead lying in the room. As they saw Cait, Cloud and Tifa they cocked their guns and aimed at them, ready to fire at the slightest movement. The three did as they were told and stood frozen, not even twitching. The only one who moved was the receptionist, as her head fell back down onto the desk and she shut her eyes, unconsciousness overcoming her once more.

As they stood there, the doors opened once again and another man walked into the Battle Square. A very tall, muscular man, dressed in only a tight pair of shorts and a head of long, brushed-back black hair. Cloud recognised him, from a brief glimpse of a statue he had seen upon their arrival at the Gold Saucer. He was Dio, the owner of the Gold Saucer theme park. He certainly didn't look happy as he saw them standing there, amongst the dead. He looked around at his dead workers and the few dead customers, before settling his stern gaze on Cloud and his two friends.

"Did you guys do this?" he demanded. His voice seemed to resonate with such strength that it made Tifa and Cloud jump, although Cait remained perfectly motionless. Clearly whatever his program was, it wasn't so easily startled.

Cloud was the first to speak. "N… no," he protested. "It wasn't us!"

Dio stared back at them, and it was clear from the look on his face that he didn't believe Cloud's protest of innocence. It was also clear from the way the guards raised their guns, as though ready to fire. It was then that Cait finally jumped in realisation, and he turned to Cloud.

"Hurry and run, it's gonna get ugly!" he said. Without even a moment's hesitation the mechanical cat turned away and bounded rapidly across the floor, disappearing through the back door that led into the arena before the guards had a chance to focus their guns on him.

"H… hey!" Cloud called.

He shook his head vigorously before he spun round and grabbed Tifa's hand. He pulled her harshly towards the door where Cait had disappeared, taking their chance to escape while the guards were confused. Dio stared angrily and snapped round to face the guards.

"Hold them!" he commanded. The two soldiers saluted back at him before they ran down the steps and through the door leading into the Battle Square arena.

Cloud and Tifa followed rapidly as Cait continued to bound through the dark tunnel to the arena, pushing his counterpart Mog body as fast as it could go. Soon the dark tunnel was flooded with light as they entered the Battle Arena, and skidded to a complete stop.

They found themselves standing on a square-shaped platform in the middle of a fairly large arena. It looked surprisingly plain, with only two doors leading out – one being the one they came through, and the other at the far end, although they didn't know where that one would lead to. From what they could see though, that door was bolted shut. And with nowhere else to go, they were cornered.

"That's as far as you go," came the bold voice of Dio from the tunnel.

The three turned back as Dio entered the arena, along with the two guards. Dio looked at them for a moment before lifting one of his large hands with its thick, muscle-filled fingers, and clicked them loudly. Cait immediately jumped and turned away towards the back door and their only exit.

"Wait, listen to…" Cloud began, but Cait soon interrupted him.

"Cloud…" the cat stammered nervously.

Cloud turned around in time to see the back door unlock itself and open up to reveal another dark tunnel leading deeper into the arena. But from that tunnel came the shadow of a large robot heading towards them. It stepped out of the dark tunnel and into the light, revealing a strong metal-plated body and a set of strong, thick, robotic arms, perfectly designed for grabbing prisoners and refusing to let them go. It stamped into the arena on heavy feet and blocked the exit as Cait jumped back towards Cloud and Tifa.

Dio clicked his fingers again. The three looked up towards the viewing balcony surrounding the arena as two more doors opened and a robot stepped out of each one. The robots looked around blindly for a moment, before settling their mechanical eyes on the group in the middle of the arena. Their eyes flashed red as they locked on, before jumping down off the balcony and landing at the corners of the arena beside Dio.

Cloud, Cait and Tifa slowly began to back off to the centre of the arena, so close that their bodies pressed against one another with nowhere else to go. Tifa grasped onto Cloud's hand as the three robots then began to walk towards them, their robot arms raised up as they walked, and ready to grab them before they could attempt an escape.

* * *

"One more to go," said Dio, a superior smile on his face as he watched. 

Ahead of him, Cloud was the only one left in the secret room in the centre of the Gold Saucer stem. Still caught in the guard robot's huge robotic arms, Cloud was struggling fiercely to break free as he hovered above a temporarily closed trapdoor hatch. Tifa and Cait had already gone through the trapdoor, carried down by their robot captors. Behind him Cloud heard Dio click his fingers again, signalling the robot to go ahead.

"Yes!" came the guard's reply, and through the corner of his eye Cloud saw him run over to the hatch controls, his hands about to pull the lever that would open the door and drop him through.

"Hey!" Cloud exclaimed in one more desperate attempt to get Dio to listen to him. "Pay attention!"

Dio looked at him, uncaring. "There's no need to listen," he replied simply. "Pay for your crime down below!" He waved his arm to the guard. "Do it!"

"Yes."

Cloud shook his head fiercely, unable to believe that he had somehow got caught up in this mess. Dio seemed unprepared to listen – catching them in the Battle Square at that moment was enough to convince him that they were involved, and the receptionist was in no condition to say otherwise.

Behind him the guard pulled on the lever and the hatch opened with a loud whoosh. A gust of sandy, dusty air flew up and filled the chamber, filling Cloud's throat and making it dry and painful. He had no time to cough however, for the robot then made a stomach-wrenching jump and jumped down through the trapdoor, carrying Cloud down with it.

* * *

**Desert Prison**

Cloud woke as a hot stab of pain shot through his eye and his throat. Instinctively he pushed himself up away from the sand and took a breath, but that just made him swallow even more sand and burned his throat even more. He rubbed his eye with one hand and held his throat with the other, a strange mixture of coughing and crying from his right eye. Only when he finished coughing up the sand did he notice the hand that was on his shoulder, and the other hand rubbing his back.

"Cloud, you all right?" came Tifa's concerned voice.

Cloud nodded briefly, still temporarily unable to talk while the burning of the hot sand in his throat calmed down. As he looked up he saw Tifa kneeling next to him, looking as concerned as she sounded. He also noted that Cait was standing nearby as well, showing that Dio didn't even care that Cait was a mechanical being. Now recovered, Cloud stood up and looked around.

The first thing he noticed was the sand. They were surrounded on all sides by vast amounts of sand, so hot that he could feel the heat even through his thickly soled boots. The sand seemed to stretch ahead of them for miles, but he could see the outline of mountains in the distance.

There were other things around him, Cloud noticed as he slowly turned around to look behind him. They were standing next to a large set of buildings, one of which had a large tube hanging down from where they had been so carelessly dropped to the bottom.

The land around them was also heavily laden with a lot of rubbish. Broken bits of metal, empty boxes and crates, anything that was of little use had been dumped in the sandy lands. Although evidence showed that some of it had been serviced for other uses, they were crude creations. Finally, a large barbed wire fence bordered the land around them, although in some area the fence had been torn away, leaving gaping holes.

"Where are we?" Cloud asked.

"A desert prison…" Cait replied. "Corel Prison…"

Cloud turned to look at him. "A desert prison?" he asked.

Cait nodded his head and motioned to the plains of sand that surrounded them on all sides, surrounding the buildings, the rubbish and beyond the fence. "Yup, a natural prison in the middle of the desert…" he explained. "Surrounded entirely by quicksand. I heard that once you get in, you never get out… But, there was one special exception…"

Cloud was about to ask what this 'special exception' was, when Tifa suddenly stood up and exclaimed loudly and pointed straight ahead of them, deeper into the so-called prison that Cait was telling them about. Cloud stood up and looked as well, and his eyes opened wide in surprise at what she had seen.

"Barret?" Tifa exclaimed.

Cait turned around and looked to where the two were pointing. Sure enough, standing just a few metres away from them and partially hidden by a pile of crates filled with trash, was Barret. He was standing with his back to them at that point, his head lowered as he looked at something on the ground. From where he was Cait could just about see the edge of his gun-arm, pointing at the floor. The cat stared, until Cloud walked past him and headed over to the dark man standing so silently away from them.

As Cloud approached, he saw what Barret was looking at. Lying at his feet was a dead man, not a Gold Saucer worker, but a simple man dressed in rather rugged clothing, thick with dirt and sand. A single bullet wound was visible in his chest, and although blood stained his shirt, there was no pool yet, so he had not been dead for very long. Cloud looked up at Barret's blank, emotionless expression.

"Barret…" he said, his voice low. "Did he really……"

Barret finally seemed to notice Cloud standing behind him and turned around. His blank expression changed a little as he saw Cloud, but Cloud couldn't make out what the expression was meant to be. Sadness, anger, and even hatred maybe – they all seemed to be fused together into one expression. Cloud took a step forward towards him, but Barret instantly stepped back, careful to avoid the dead man lying facedown behind him.

"Stay back!" Barret warned Cloud sternly before his could say anything. Cloud noticed that Barret continued to keep his one good hand on his gun-arm, as though on a constant alert for something. "This's something I gotta deal with. Jes' leave me alone."

He then turned sharply and ran off, kicking up a cloud of sand behind him as he tore off away from Cloud. He ran through the open fence ahead of him, a separate fence leading to another area of the desert prison. Cloud could do nothing but watch him, before he looked back down at the dead man. A bullet wound… could it really have been Barret?

"Whew!" came Cait's voice. Cloud looked through the corner of his eye as the cat bounded up beside him, daring to come out now that Barret was out of sight. "That's one of your friends? He sure looks dangerous…"

Cloud sighed and looked over to Tifa, who was also standing beside him. "…Barret……" she whispered softly, before looking at Cloud.

He knew what she was thinking. After all, he had been thinking the same thing. Ever since they had reached North Corel, Barret had been acting very strangely. It would have been no surprise if it was a Shinra soldier lying dead in front of them, but this was an ordinary man, an innocent who had nothing to do with the Shinra. In fact he was probably a prisoner himself, although not anymore. They had thought maybe things were getting back to normal when they arrived at Gold Saucer, but it was clear now that things were nowhere near back to normal.

After they had moved the dead man out of the way, giving him a slightly better place to rest until someone could bury him, the three made their way into the main part of the desert prison.

Corel Prison, as Cait called it, looked very much like a small open town, built in the middle of the desert at the very base of the Gold Saucer. In fact they could see the Gold Saucer stem in the very centre, surrounded by small houses that was obviously the main complex for the entire prison, and most likely the only way back up to civilisation.

There was no doubt that this town had been left in disarray for a number of years, reconstructed from whatever its citizens could find. Of course, its citizens were not ordinary people who lived there by will. They were all prisoners sent down from the Gold Saucer to spend the rest of their days in the sandy prison. They were a rough-looking bunch too – punks with multicoloured hair and many piercings, and eager eyes looking to snatch anything they could.

In fact, as Cloud and the others looked around at the prison, they began to notice just how much like a small town it really looked. The houses that were still standing were rather neatly arranged, as though they had once been part of a neatly constructed town. Originally built of wood, they noticed that they carried the remnants of burn marks, with metal reconstructing some of the houses. Corel Prison… it couldn't possibly have been the town of Corel.

A flash of movement caught their attention, and the three turned their attention to one of the abandoned houses standing nearby. They were sure they saw the door gently swing shut, and something, or someone, moving inside. They couldn't be sure whether it was Barret, but there were no other signs of him in the prison, so they headed towards the empty house.

The door creaked loudly as Cloud pushed it open, much louder than they thought it would, and they froze until the echoes faded and silence returned to the house.

The inside of the house was in just as bad condition as it was on the outside – in fact it looked like a bomb had hit it, but more likely it had been raided by thieves. Shelves were broken, tables were shattered, and the couch stood on only two left legs while the rest of it tilted to the side with a number of slash and bullet holes in it. Books and shards of glass covered the floor, cracking under their feet as they walked in. The house was also heavy with dust, dirt and sand, making Tifa's nose itch as she fought back a sneeze.

There was no sign of Barret in the house, but they weren't all too surprised. There was another door at the other end of the house, so anyone who came in could easily have gone out that way and avoided them. Yet, for a second they thought they could hear shuffling, until the sound of footsteps began to echo around them. They turned towards the second door just moments before it opened, and jumped as they saw Barret's large frame standing in its frame, his body slightly outlined by the sunlight shining in from outside.

It was clear that Barret wasn't happy to see them there. A large frown covered his face, his eyebrows drawn close together as he stared at them furiously. Yet there was something odd about his gaze, something Cloud couldn't quite place.

"Didn't I tell you not to come here?" Barret shouted. His voice echoed all the way through the empty house, the echo dull as it hit the dust and sand in the air. Before anyone could have a chance to explain, Barret suddenly raised his gun-arm and pointed it at them.

Cait jumped back fiercely, waving his little arms madly. "Ju… just hold on for a second!" the cat squealed frantically, almost dropping his megaphone in sheer panic. "We just want to talk! You'll understand if you just hear us out!"

He had barely finished his sentence when Barret suddenly opened fire, and everyone in the room flinched and shielded themselves with their arms. For a full five seconds Barret let loose a parade of bullets into the air, the chug-noise of his gun making painful sounds. After those five seconds Barret stopped and lowered his gun, his face set and level. Only when he finished did Cloud and the others lower their arms and look around bewildered, before they finally realised that Barret was not aiming at them at all.

Behind them the couch, with its new pattern of fresh bullet wounds, gave out an almighty wheeze and a pop as stale air burst out, followed by a cloud of stuffing from the inside. Cloud and Tifa turned, and a second later they saw a figure stand up from behind the couch, a number of bullet wounds in his body, before he fell onto the ground in a dead heap. It was one of the prisoners, hiding in the house. Once dead, Barret turned away from them and refused to meet their gazes.

"Didn't want none of ya to get involved…" he said simply.

"Hey, that's Cloud's line!"

Barret looked up sharply and raised his gun, almost firing again as the door behind him suddenly opened up and three figures ran into the house. He relaxed as he saw that it was only the others – Aeris, Yuffie and Red XIII. He slowly lowered his gun, looking a little ashamed at aiming at them.

"'It's too dangerous, I can't let you get involved…' blah, blah, blah…" Aeris imitated sarcastically, ignoring the gun that had been pointing her way. She winked at Cloud, who tried to look like he hadn't heard the rather accurate imitation of him.

"Yeah. We're already involved in this," said Tifa.

"We saw you and hurried here," said Aeris, answering Cloud's silent question as he looked at her and then the others. "Barret, just tell us what's going on."

Barret slowly looked from one group to the other, before he finally looked down at the ground. "You guys…" he muttered, his voice barely audible. It was clear to him that there was no way out for him now he had no choice but to tell them the whole truth about everything that was going on.

"I heard that the murders at the Battle Arena were done by a man with a gun-arm," said Red XIII. He walked past Barret and climbed up onto the old, rotting couch, settling back on his haunches in preparation for a long story. He looked at Barret through his fiery eyes. "…Was that you?"

Barret shook his head fiercely, before he sighed heavily. "There's another…" he began. "Another man that got a gun grafted into one of his arms. It was four years ago… I remember… I was on my way home after visiting a Mako Reactor being built…"


	43. Part 04: Chapter 43

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Three**

_Three days had passed before Dyne and Barret finally reached Mt. Corel again, glad to see the rocky landscape and the mines, although the mines were now abandoned now that the Mako Reactor had been built. They were relieved to be back on their own continent after the long journey across the sea, where they had seen a Mako Reactor being built in another town._

_Like Dyne, many people had been reluctant to allow Shinra to build a reactor; afraid it would ruin the landscape. They had eventually given in, but only because they had no choice. The reactors had proved to be very prosperous, and money had been flowing in steadily into the towns where reactors were built. There were rumours going around that the land around the reactors was slowly withering and dying, but so far Shinra were denying all knowledge of that._

_Dyne and Barret were just crossing the bridge away from the Mt. Corel Reactor when it happened. They had tried to ignore the unsightly form of the reactor embedded in the mountain crevice that had once been the main mining point for Corel, the tunnels now filled with pipes sucking in Mako instead of coal. They were eagerly waiting to see the sights of home, when they looked ahead and saw an old man they recognised from Corel running towards them. Red-faced and panting hard, it looked like he had been running for a long while._

"_Barret! Dyne!" the old man called as he ran across the bridge, staggering a little as he ran. Unable to run any further he stopped a few feet away from them, his lungs heaving for air, although he managed to gain enough breath to shout out his message. "Come quick! The village's being attacked! It's Shinra soldiers!"_

_Barret jumped back. "What?" he cried._

_Without waiting to hear anymore, he turned and jumped off the bridge to its rocky base, dashing to the end to look out at North Corel and the desert beyond. Dyne was right behind him, the same thoughts crossing his mind._

_They stopped at the end of the ledge and looked out. Their eyes opened wide as their gazes fell on the sights of North Corel at the mountain's exit, and the red-hot flames that were rising up from it. Although they could not hear the screams they could imagine what must be going on in Corel at that moment – people running and screaming, desperate to get away from the flames and the smoke as it choked the last of the life out of them. Barret stared angrily, feeling the fire burning in his own eyes even at this distance. Suddenly he threw his arms up to the air and shook them madly, barely able to contain his horror._

"_What the hell happened?" he raged. His throat was dry, as though the smoke had somehow reached him and was eating away at his throat and lungs. "……" was all he could say. He fell down onto his knees, his palms pressed firmly against the rock, and shook, wishing he could break the rock into pieces as he watched North Corel burn._

_Behind him Dyne also saw the flames, but instead of seething in anger like Barret, he slowly looked away. This was just what he'd been so afraid of – Shinra going against the deal and wiping them out, leaving them free to do whatever they liked. He was suddenly broken from his thoughts as Barret hit the ground with his fist, and was brought back to reality. He shook his head and looked at his friend kneeling on the floor._

"_Hey, Barret! It's not over yet!" he said, sounding positive. Barret slowly turned his head and looked up at him, fighting back the tears of rage that were welling inside of him as he looked up at Dyne hopefully. "Everyone's waiting! Let's go back to the village!"_

_Barret continued to stare at him for a few seconds more, feeling sure that Dyne was holding onto a false hope. Still, even a false hope was worth holding onto at a time such as this, so he nodded his head and climbed to his feet, his arms aching from the strain of pushing down on solid rock. They turned back to the bridge, where the old man was looking back down the path with a look of fear on his face. Suddenly he turned back to them and called out desperately._

"_Barret! Dyne! Protect the village!" he shouted, before he turned and began to run across the bridge._

_Dyne and Barret soon saw why he was running, for at that moment a group of four Shinra soldier suddenly emerged from the mountain path and onto the bridge. Their rifles already raised and cocked ready, they opened fire on the old man as he tried to flee._

"_Hmp! Old man!" Barret cried, but it was far too late. The old man fell facedown onto the bridge and moved no more, his life snuffed out by the bullets. As the Shinra soldiers looked around for them, Barret looked to Dyne. Dyne nodded back at him, and they turned to run under the bridge out of sight of the soldiers._

_Dyne was the only one who made it there. As he jumped aside towards the bridge, the four soldiers located Barret and opened fire. Barret jumped back as bullets struck the ground near his feet, riddling the ground and sending dust into the air. Barret was forced to keep his feet moving as the bullets danced around him, otherwise he'd lose his feet._

"_C'mon, Barret!" came Dyne's voice from the bridge. "We gotta hurry!"_

_Barret looked ahead as the bullets danced past him, and saw Dyne running under the bridge to the other side, where a natural rocky ledge was standing. Barret spotted his chance as the soldiers stopped firing for a split second to reload their guns. Barret grunted loudly and threw himself forward just before they fired again and ran to the bridge, leaping underneath the wooden form of the bridge and jumping to Dyne on the other side._

_As the two stopped on the ledge, they heard the sound of guns firing again, but the bullets landed nowhere near them. Barret and Dyne stood firm against the mountain wall, when they heard another sound cut through the gunfire. The soldiers stopped firing as Scarlet, still in her red silk dress, stepped up from the mountain path, laughing her annoying laugh._

_Dyne turned to Barret and grabbed his arm. "Barret! You stay here!" he ordered his friend sternly._

"_Kyaa haa, ha!" Scarlet cackled, stopping just behind the soldiers. The soldiers looked back at her smug face. "You can shoot all day and never hit them with aim like that."_

_Barret turned back to Dyne and shook his arm free. "Shu'up!" he replied, realising what Dyne was probably planning._

_While they were arguing, Scarlet moved over and knocked one of the soldiers off the bridge, letting him fall over the edge and onto the ledge below, knocked out from the fall. The other soldiers raised their guns instantly and aimed at Barret and Dyne, awaiting Scarlet's orders._

"_Haa, ha, ha!" Scarlet laughed, covering her mouth daintily like an actor playing up the role of a damsel. She then stopped laughing and motioned to the soldiers. "Stop playing around and cover me!"_

_The soldiers didn't waste any time in doing so. They moved around her and guarded her in a half-circle, now in a better position to fire at the two as they stood cornered on the ledge. Then, when Scarlet pointed ahead, they opened fire._

"_Watch out!" called Dyne. He moved forward in the hope of moving in front of Barret and shielding him from the approaching gunfire, but as he stepped forward his foot caught on a loose piece of rock lying on the ledge. He staggered, but lost his balance and slipped off the edge of the ledge, falling towards the chasm._

_Barret was by his side in an instant, grabbing hold of Dyne's hand and holding it tightly to stop him from falling. Falling to his knees, Barret kept his fist firmly around Dyne's hand as his friend dangled loosely over the long chasm leading to the foot of the mountain. If Dyne fell, there would be a very minimal chance that he'd survive._

"_Dyne!" Barret shouted desperately, his voice barely heard over the sound of the gunfire. "Hang on! Lissen to me! You're comin' back to the village, hear?"_

_Below him, Dyne looked up meekly, a cut on his forehead from where his head had connected with the mountain wall. "Yeah…" he replied, sounding slightly dazed. "I ain't lettin' go… You're comin' back… Everyone's waitin' for ya… Eleanor… and Marlene… They all waitin' on us…"_

_Up on the bridge, Scarlet urged the soldiers on, shouting at them hysterically for them to continue firing and aim right. Slowly but surely the line of bullets moved across the mountain wall, getting closer and closer to the spot where Barret was holding on so desperately to Dyne. The bullets moved right along the ridge, to where Barret's hand was holding onto Dyne's wrist._

_Barret cried out and clenched his eyes shut suddenly as he felt the pang of a dozen bullets suddenly fire into his right arm. At the same time Dyne cried out, feeling the same pang in his left arm. Barret clenched his teeth tight and held on as hard as he could, fighting back the pain._

_Then, without warning, he suddenly felt his arm go limp, his muscles giving way and his arm falling loose. He looked down just in time to see his grip fall free, releasing Dyne's arm. He looked further down and saw Dyne's blank face looking back up at him, still reaching out with his own weak left arm as he fell back away from the ledge and down into the chasm, the shadows swallowing him up and out of Barret's sight._

* * *

"From then on, I couldn't use my right arm no more," said Barret slowly, closing his eyes as he remembered Dyne's calm, accepting face as he fell away from the ledge. He had almost seemed to accept his face, and that image was burned into the back of Barret's mind. "…I was depressed for a while. But then I threw away my artificial arm and got this gun grafted in." He turned away from the others, and looked down at the unnatural metal gun that had replaced his hand. "Got a new right arm to get revenge on the Shinra, who took everything away…" He put his good hand over the cold metal and gripped it tight, before he turned back to the others. "Back then, I heard the doc say there was another man who got the same operation as me. But his was the left arm…" 

Around him, the others remained silent for a few moments as they absorbed all this information, thinking it over. A lot of things were beginning to make sense now, such as Barret's intense dislike for the Shinra. Now they knew why he had acted the way he did – it was all a case of getting revenge for what the Shinra had taken away from him. And being in Corel Prison, rebuilt from what had once been his home, had brought it all back to him. It also answered the question as to who had committed the murders up in the Battle Square. The one other man who had a gun-arm… Dyne.

"……" Cloud breathed softly.

"But…" Aeris said suddenly, the first to break the silence that had filled the hut. "Dyne's injury was the same as yours, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," said Tifa, clicking her fingers. "He was deceived by the Shinra, too. He'll probably join us to fight against the Shinra."

Barret shook his head firmly. "…Wouldn't bet on it," he replied. "I gotta 'pologise to Dyne before I can rest in peace." He lifted his gun-arm and cocked it ready. "An that's why, I gotta go alone." Everyone stayed silent, looking at Barret.

"Do whatever you want…" Cloud said suddenly, surprising everyone. One by one they turned to look at Cloud, who had turned away at the end of the story, his eyes shut. Then he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Barret. "Is that what you want to hear?" he asked. He shook his head fiercely. "Well, I can't let you do it. Because, if you die on me, I'm gonna have nightmares."

"Barret, this isn't the end," said Aeris, catching on to what Cloud was saying.

"Weren't you going to save the Planet?" asked Tifa.

Barret glared at her angrily, his temper flaring again. "Shit!" he cursed. "Tifa, you oughtta know by now." Tifa jumped slightly and flushed a little as she recalled the true reason. Saving the Planet had never been part of Barret's plans. To everyone else, AVALANCHE was a resistance group trying to save the Planet. For Barret, it was just a way to get his revenge on the Shinra.

Tifa put her hands together and looked down at them. "…That's all right," she said quietly, a faint smile on her face. "I'm not so different from you."

"That's easier to understand," said Aeris. "It's you, Barret."

"So there it is, Barret," Cloud said, walking up to him. "So I guess it'll be Barret, me, and……" He looked around at the others, waiting for someone to volunteer to join them. After all, it wasn't necessary for them all to go in search of Dyne, and it was dangerous inside the prison.

"Hmm? Shall I go with you?" said Red XIII.

Cloud slowly nodded his head in agreement. He was hoping Red XIII would volunteer. Troublesome prisoners would be less likely to bother them with Red XIII around – from a distance he just looked like a big, fierce wolf. He was sure the others would be able to look after themselves.

"You sure are all acting pretty heroic," Yuffie commented suddenly. She jumped over to the couch and sat back in its old seats, sinking back into the cushions as she prepared for the wait. "Considerin' we're not makin' any money on this…"

Cloud and his group never heard Yuffie's last words, for they had already left the house and shut the door behind them, making sure the door was secure and the others were safe inside.

As Cloud had hoped, the majority of the prisoners stayed away from them once they saw Red XIII. The ones who did dare approach Cloud and Barret were quickly scared off once Red XIII extended his long claws and bared his teeth, giving them such a snarl that they quickly turned and fled with their money-pinching fingers fleeing ahead of them.

* * *

It wasn't too long before Cloud, Barret and Red XIII were back where they all started, just outside the perimeter of the prison. As they discovered as they walked along close to the fence was that the prison was rather open, and they were perfectly free to step out into the desert if they wanted to. However they all knew about the invisible pits of quicksand that dotted the desert, and so they kept as close as they could to the fence. 

They found that part of the fence was broken about thirty metres out of the prison, leading into another part of the prison that was filled with disused junk that had been so carelessly dropped from the Gold Saucer and moved aside by the residents of the prison.

Red XIII was the one who found the injured man first, catching the scent of blood on the wind. He ran ahead and found the man, another prisoner, lying facedown on the sand. He was still alive, but it wouldn't be long before he died also, and there was nothing they could do for him.

Cloud knelt down and saw a deep, bloody wound in the man's back. "This one's been shot, too…" he observed.

He looked up suddenly as he heard the steady, constant sound of gunfire ring out through the air. Red XIII pricked up his ears and listened, his nose twitching as he tried to catch the scent on the breeze. Unable to smell anything, he suddenly leaped up onto a strange metal machine covered in rust just lying on the sand, and took another deep breath of air. This time he did catch a scent – a human scent, along with metal. "Over there," he called back down to Cloud and Barret, motioning around the next corner of crates and machinery.

Barret wasted no time in running forward, startling Cloud as he brushed rudely past him and down the sandy path. He ignored Cloud's calls for him to slow down and ran on. He was sure that it was Dyne behind the next corner – he could almost sense him.

He finally reached the corner and turned it, skidding to a stop as he turned. His jaw fell open as he saw the figure standing ahead of him at the edge of a ridge that had opened up in the middle of the desert.

There standing ahead of him, dressed in old rags that were in desperate need of a good wash. His skin was scarred and pale, and he was incredibly thin, as though he hadn't eaten properly for days. His clothes hung off his frail body, and in one of his legs there was a terrible scar showing through the tears of his trousers. And there, on his left arm, was a gun grafted onto his flesh.

He didn't look up at Barret as he approached, nor as Cloud and Red XIII finally caught up to him and stopped behind him. He simply stood, his head lowered to look at the ground, firing steadily into an old stone wall and a fence beside him.

Barret stared, open-mouthed, as he saw Dyne standing ahead of him. It was definitely Dyne, there was no doubt in his mind. Through the corner of his eye he saw Cloud walking up behind him, and very quickly put his hand out to warn Cloud back. Cloud stopped but did not move back, and Barret slowly began to walk forward towards Dyne, who continued to fire into the fence.

"…Dyne," Barret said, his voice stammering. "…Is that you?"

Dyne stopped firing and let his arm fall loosely by his side. He lifted his head very slowly and let his eyes fall on Barret. He seemed to stare blankly for a few seconds, as though he couldn't see or couldn't quite focus on him. Then a faint look of recognition crossed his face. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly into an expression that could only have been described as pure anger, before falling back into an expressionless glare.

"Now that's a voice I haven't heard in years…" he said, his voice low. He then began to walk forward, walking with a strong limp on the leg where the large scar was showing. Clearly when he had fallen off the cliff, he had done more damage than simply injure his arm. His entire leg had been badly damaged. "A voice I'll never forget…" he said as he walked.

There was something strange in the way he spoke – something sad and quiet, or possibly even a quiet anger. He also could barely look at Barret as he walked forward, and his mouth was slowly stretching into an uncomfortable, manic grin. Cloud, watching from the back, suddenly got the impression that was well as losing his arm and most use of his leg, Dyne had also lost most of his mind.

"I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday…" Barret said, trying his hardest to sound normal and open, as though he couldn't see Dyne's slightly unstable state of mind. "I knew you were alive somewhere… we had the same operation. Listen to me, Dyne. I want to…"

He stopped suddenly as Dyne lifted his own gun-arm and fired a single round right at Barret's feet. Barret stood frozen as the bullet recoiled off the ground and into the nearby wall, sounding with a metal clang. For the first time Barret saw the manic expression on Dyne's face, and realised that Dyne was nothing like he used to be. Too much had happened… He watched as Dyne suddenly looked up at the sky, his eyes softening just a little.

"What's that? ……I hear her voice."

"……?" asked Barret, sounding confused.

The manic grin on Dyne's face softened for a moment as he looked at the sky. "I hear her voice, Eleanor's voice," he said. He closed his eyes for a moment as though listening, before he looked back down and pointed his gun-arm at Barret. "Begging me… not to hate your rotten guts. That's why I didn't hunt you down."

"I know I was stupid," Barret said, interrupting him. "I'm not going to ask you to forgive me. But… What're you doin' in a place like this? Why ya wanna kill those that ain't even involved? Why?"

Dyne stared, his eyes flaring up in anger. "…Why?" he cried, outraged. He continued to hold out his left arm, which was shaking in the sheer anger that was rising inside as he looked at Barret. "The hell you care for? Are the people killed going to understand 'why'? Are the people of Corel going to understand just hearing Shinra's excuses? I don't CARE what the reason is! All they give us is artillery and stupid excuses… what's left is a world of despair and emptiness…"

Barret lowered his head and looked at the ground. "……" he mumbled. It was clear that Dyne was in a lot of pain, and a simple 'sorry' was not going to change any of that. He didn't know what to say to him to make anything better.

"You still want to hear 'why'?" Dyne asked suddenly, and Barret looked up. "…All right, I'll tell ya. Cause I want to destroy everything." He pointed his gun-arm away from Barret and shot a nearby broken car, the bullet sticking in its already dented surface. "The people of this city." He pointed his arm the other way and shot the fence again. "This city itself."

He suddenly pointed his arm forward and shot three rounds at Barret's feet. Each time Barret felt the hot recoil of the bullets near his boots and flinched, but he didn't step back. He didn't believe Dyne wanted to hurt him.

"This whole world," Dyne finished, lowering his arm. He turned around, wincing in pain as he put weight on his scarred leg, and wouldn't look at them. "I got nothing left in this world. Corel, Eleanor… …Marlene……"

Barret suddenly stopped as he realised. He looked up at Dyne. "Dyne," he said, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. "Marlene…… Marlene's still alive."

He heard Dyne gasp as his breath stopped short. Slowly but surely Dyne turned his head and looked at Barret properly for the very first time, his eyes seeming awake and open for the first time in a long time. "……?" he breathed.

"I went back into town," Barret said, taking a step forward. He finally felt as though he had found the one thing that would make Dyne listen to him. Dyne's daughter, Marlene… "I thought she was gone for sure. That is why I wanted to be by her side till the end. That's when I found her…… Found Marlene."

Dyne stared at him, his eyes widened. He couldn't say anything, even though his mouth moved as though he was trying to say something. "…"

"She's in Midgar," Barret continued. "Let's go see her together, all right?"

He looked at Dyne hopefully, until Dyne slowly turned away. Dyne could feel his heart pounding heavily inside his chest, the first time he'd felt it in a long time. He closed his eyes and listened carefully to the strange little voice that was talking silently in his head. Finally Dyne nodded slowly, and took in a breath.

"So… …she's still alive…" he said. His voice was trembling slightly. "All right, Barret. I guess that means you and I gotta fight."

Barret jumped back in shock. "What?" he exclaimed.

Dyne turned around to face him, ignoring the pain of his leg. "Eleanor's all alone by herself," he said. "I've got to take Marlene to her."

Barret shook his head in disbelief, unable to believe what Dyne was suggesting. "Dyne… are you insane?" he cried.

"Marlene wants to see her Mom, don't she?"

Before Barret could even think of an answer, he lifted his gun-arm and fired at Barret's feet. Barret almost jumped back, startled, but he knew that Dyne was prompting him to fight him.

"Stop, Dyne!" Barret pleaded with his friend. "I can't die yet."

Dyne did stop, but only long enough to say, "Oh yeah? Well, my life's been over since then." He began to fire again, and this time he wouldn't stop, the manic, hysterical smile wide on his face.

"Stop it!" called Barret. "I don't wanna fight you!"

"Barret!" came Cloud's voice from behind him. Barret turned in time to see Cloud running forward, ready to draw his sword.

"Cloud, you stay the hell out of it!" he snapped back fiercely, forcing Cloud to stop. "This is MY problem!"

Cloud stopped and slowly relaxed his grip on his sword, but he did not let go of it. It may be Barret's problem, but he was not going to stand by while Barret got himself hurt or even killed.

But none of that crossed Barret's mind as he turned back and faced Dyne, who had finally stopped firing his gun and was looking at Barret with a look that he had never seen before. It was probably the same look he had had when he killed all the people in the Battle Square. And this time, it was aimed directly at Barret.


	44. Part 04: Chapter 44

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Four**

All hell seemed to break loose as the fight started. Dyne and Barret, both experienced fighters, fought unlike anything Cloud and Red XIII had seen before.

It was a terrible thing to watch two former friends fight. On the one hand there was Dyne, filled with the hatred and rage that had been burning up inside him for the last four years. Although originally that hatred had been aimed at Shinra and what they did to him, over time the anger had turned outwards to a complete, out-of-control hatred of everything and everyone. Even his former best friend.

On the other hand there was Barret. Like Dyne, Barret had also been betrayed by the Shinra and had a lot of anger and hatred towards them and wanted to destroy them as much as Dyne did. The only difference was that it was not his anger for Shinra that was fuelling him to fight Dyne. It was his love for little Marlene that prompted him to fight. He could not let Dyne take her if he intended to kill her. Marlene may be Dyne's daughter, but it would be Barret who would fight for her life.

Safe behind the piles of crates and rundown machinery, Cloud and Red XIII watched the battle go on. From where they were hiding they were safe from the bullets that were whizzing around missing their targets, or the occasional ram of objects thrown as Barret tried to get close to Dyne and stop him. Despite his frail-looking frame Dyne was incredibly strong, his strength coming from his own anger and fuelling him up.

"Cloud, we can't just sit and watch," Red XIII protested suddenly, turning to Cloud. "What if Dyne kills him?"

Cloud had already turned away from the fight, his eyes shut as though he was sleeping, blocking out the sounds of the fight. He knew very well what could happen in this fight. Dyne could kill Barret, or Barret could kill Dyne. Either way wouldn't matter to Dyne, he figured. Still…

"This is Barret's fight," he replied simply, not opening his eyes. He said no more and simply lowered his head a little. Red XIII stared, but noticed that Cloud still kept one hand firmly around the handle of his sword. A small smile spread on the hound's face as he realised that Cloud wasn't being entirely truthful, and turned back to the fight.

Barret had finally managed to get close to Dyne, and was in the process of working a large chunk of metal from his hands, which he had intended to throw at Barret. Despite his anger-fuelled strength Dyne was not stronger than Barret, and it wasn't long before the metal crashed to the floor out of harm's way.

The fight then turned into a fistfight. Too close to use their gun-arms without the risk of recoil, the two men began to kick and punch each others as they scuffled, trying to throw the other to the ground. They were getting dangerously close to the edge of the ledge as well, towards the dark chasm.

Red XIII continued to watch nervously as the fight continued, his twitching tail a sign of his constant anxiety. He wondered whether he should jump in now and stop the fight, but how could he when Dyne was in such a frenzied rage?

Luckily he didn't have to wait too long for the fight to end. Dirty and bloody and increasingly tired from the fighting, Dyne was beginning to falter, his grip weakening. Seeing his chance Barret delivered one last, hard punch and knocked Dyne to the ground. The fight was over. Red XIII barked to Cloud, who turned around and looked out at the scene.

Dyne was lying back on the floor, breathing hard, blood pouring slowly from wounds on nose and mouth, and the faint signs of many bruises that would form quickly. Barret stood a metre away, also panting but still standing, looking relieved that the fight was finally over.

As Cloud and Red XIII stepped out from behind the crates, Dyne began to push himself up off the ground. "Ugh!" he groaned as he felt the pain from a dislocated shoulder, pressing his hands on the ground. He heard footsteps as Barret began to run to him to help him, but quickly thrust out a hand and shouted, "Back!"

Barret stopped, sweat pouring from his body. He watched as Dyne slowly stood up, wincing further as he applied pressure to his injured shoulder, and climbed to his feet. His balance was precarious and shaky, looking as though his legs would give way at any second. He barely managed to stagger over to the broken fence nearby, and leaned against it, letting his injured arm hang limp beside him.

"…It wasn't just my arm… …back then…" he said softly, his voice low. All the anger had been drained out of him now, leaving him appearing much weaker. He wiped his forehead with his one good hand, and wasn't surprised to find a light trickle of blood from a slight wound on his head. He stared at the blood blankly as he said, "…I lost something irreplaceable. I don't know where I went wrong…"

"Dyne… I don't know either, man," said Barret. "Is this the only way… we can resolve this?"

"I told you…" Dyne said without a single hint of harshness. It looked as though all the anger that had fuelled him up and made him seem stronger had been vented. Now, without that anger, he looked much more tired, frail and very pale. "I… I want to destroy everything… Everything… This crazy world… Even me…"

Barret shook his head, trying to meet Dyne's gaze. "An' what 'bout Marlene?" he demanded, his patience growing a little thin. "What's gonna happen to her?"

Ahead of him, Dyne sighed heavily. He closed his eyes for a moment to recollect his only memories of Marlene, a cute little baby resting in his wife's arms. Then the painful memories of all that being taken from him in the fire. "…Think about it… Barret…" he began. "How old was Marlene back then…? Even if I did go to her now… she wouldn't even know me… And what's more… Barret…" He looked down at his hand and gun-arm. "These hands are a little too stained to carry Marlene anymore…"

Barret couldn't say anything. How could he?

"Barret…"

Barret looked up suddenly as an object, glinting brightly as it caught the sunlight, flew through the air towards him. He caught it easily and looked down at it.

It was a pendant made of gleaming silver, neatly built into the shape of a heart. It was still glossy even after so many years – Dyne had looked after it well. It was attached by small hooks to an equally clean metal chain and from what Barret could see; there was some writing engraved on the back of it.

"Give that pendant to Marlene…" Dyne said. He breathed deeply, his chest aching from the fight. "It was… Eleanor's… my wife's… memento…"

Barret looked down at the pendant for a few seconds more, before he looked up at Dyne with a look of surprise. He knew what that meant. Dyne had no intention of ever seeing Marlene again. After four years of being without her true father in her life, it didn't make any difference to Dyne that he wouldn't be there now. Accepting that, Barret nodded.

"All right…" he agreed, and slid the pendant carefully into his pocket so it wouldn't fall out and get lost.

A faint smile spread on Dyne's face and he sighed, seeming relieved, as though a great weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders and let him be free. "…Wow…" he whispered, mostly to himself. "Marlene's… already… four…"

With a sudden burst of energy he pushed himself up away from the fence. He almost fell over, what with his injured leg and painful shoulder, but he kept his balance and staggered away from the fence, and towards the ledge. He stopped beside the rocky edge and looked straight down into the dark chasm that lay beyond it. He could not see the bottom, but that was all right.

"Barret… Don't…… make… ……Don't ever make Marlene…… cry…"

"Dyne…?" Barret asked confused. Then his eyes widened as he saw Dyne turn away from the ledge and spread his arms wide. "Dyne!" He dashed forward, hoping to stop Dyne before-

He was too late. Dyne let himself fall back away from the ledge, and disappeared into the chasm. Barret stopped in horror as he saw his best friend fall again before his eyes. Dyne didn't even scream as he fell, for he had already accepted death long ago.

"Dyne!" Barret shouted, his voice shaking the crates around them. Deadly silence welcomed his words, and Barret let himself fall to his knees, shaking almost uncontrollably as he saw his friend fall to his death for the second time. The first had been mental death, the second, true death… "…Dyne. Me an' you were the same…" Barret said, staring at the floor. "My hands ain't any cleaner…… I shouldn't be able to carry… Marlene either…" He shook his head vigorously, before he looked up and shouted angrily up to the sky.

* * *

Not long after, Cloud and the others were all standing in the office of Mr. Coates, the man they had thought was in charge of the Desert Prison. As it turned out, while Barret, Cloud and Red XIII were off dealing with Dyne, Tifa and the others had all gone out to look for a way back up to the Gold Saucer. After dealing with some tricky prisoners who could do nothing but lie, they had found Mr. Coates's office. He had told them that they needed special permission from the boss in order to get up. 

And, as it turned out, that boss was Dyne.

Mr. Coates was still sitting behind his desk as Barret promptly led the others into the office. He jumped up angrily, about to protest, until he saw the group of seven all pile into the room with serious and grave expressions on their faces. His face turned a little pale and he sat carefully back down in his seat, his cool executive exterior breaking a little under the pressure of such a large group.

"You want somethin'?" he asked carefully, looking around at them all. Despite his efforts to make his voice stay steady, it was breaking with the anxiety.

Barret walked forward ahead of the others, and glared at Coates. "I want to go up," he said plainly.

A small smile appeared on Coates's face, realising he had the upper hand. The group may have looked tough, but there was nothing they could do about the rules. "Like I told you before," he said, his voice gaining in confidence. "You gotta get the Boss' permission, then win the Chocobo…"

"Dyne's got his reasons an' can't speak," Barret interrupted. "So, I got this, instead." And he thrust out the pendant.

"Yeah, bull!" Mr. Coates began, until he saw the pendant that was thrust in front of his face. He saw its familiar silver glint and the writing engraved in the metal, and his eyes widened in total astonishment. He adjusted his glasses, quickly wiping the lenses clean, before putting them back on the bridge of his nose and looking once again. It was no fake. That was Dyne's pendant. Behind the image of the pendant, Barret looked at him smugly.

"I want to go up," he repeated, the same as before.

Coates was still reeling in the shock, a new wave of fear and anxiety filling him as he took in the facts. "R, right?" he stammered, his voice losing control. "Did you kill Dyne? You must've. Or you'd never be holding that thing." He sat back heavily in his chair, his fear being replaced by a feeling of relief. "…So Dyne's dead… Maybe now, the place'll calm down a little. Dyne didn't care who anyone was……"

He didn't get to finish his statement, for Barret was on him like a lion grabbing for prey. He grabbed Coates by the scruff of his collar and lifted him straight up out of his chair, letting it fall on its side in Coates's struggling attempts to break free. No one stopped Barret, and let him carry on.

"The hell do YOU know!" Barret shouted at him. He wanted to shake the executive until he lost all his senses, but merely being so close to Barret had already made Coates lose his senses.

"R… ri…… right! I mean, no, I DON'T know anything," he said, continuing to stammer in his fear. He caught Barret's angry glare. "S, s… sorry." Barret glared at him for a few seconds more, and then he let go. Coates fell down onto the floor behind his desk, and quickly began to stand up again.

"Then, will you get us outta here?" asked Cloud, speaking up for the first time.

Coates was busy readjusting his chair at that moment. "Huh?" he asked, confused. He shook his head briefly as he realised what Cloud was talking about. "Oh, man, you guys are mistaken. I already told you, there's only one way to get outta here. That's to win the Chocobo Race and that's held up there, in the Gold Saucer. And, only one racer can go up at a time."

His sentence was cut short as Barret reached forward and grabbed him harshly again; pulling him so close Coates could feel his breath against his face.

"Say what?" Barret cried, outraged.

Coates tried to shield his face with his hands, terrified. "Noooo!" he wailed pathetically. He reminded them all a little of Palmer, the Shinra Executive in charge of the Space Program, and how he had acted when they caught him. "Really, even if you threaten me! A rule's a rule. I can't change it. If I do, the whole system down here'll get messed up! An' I can't do that! Okay, okay! I'll let one of you go up there. After that, he's gotta deal with Dio."

A single nod from Cloud made Barret release the man, and Coates fell once again to the floor. While he tried to readjust his suit and tie, Barret turned to Cloud.

"Awright then," he said. "Cloud, you go. We'll wait down here. Hurry up an' win that Chocobo Race, an' get us outta here!"

"Right, Cloud," said Tifa. "We'll be waiting and rooting for you."

Cloud shrugged. He knew there was no point in arguing with the others once they had made up their minds about that. Not that it was a hard choice to make. Red XIII would have difficulty just getting on a Chocobo, and Cait certainly didn't have the mobility, even if it was just his cat form. Barret was probably to heavy to ride a Chocobo through the complex racecourse, which left only him, Tifa, Aeris or Yuffie. He began to unleash the straps holding his sword to his back. He wouldn't need that to race.

"Have you decided?" Coates asked. Cloud finished unhooking his sword and handed it to Tifa, who took it and held it carefully, the sharp tip pointing down. "All you need now is a manager. …And register and get a Chocobo…"

"Hi… …I happened to hear your story," came a voice from the outside, making Cloud and the others all jump and turn to the doorway, their hands on their weapons. Apart from Cloud, who motioned to move to his sword only to remember that it was no longer on him, but in Tifa's hands.

Coates looked up in surprise. "Ester?" he said, blinking.

There was a woman standing in the doorway, peering in on them and smiling happily. As she walked into the room it was clear that she was not a prisoner or any of the prison staff. She was dressed in a rather strange-looking dress; her hair so neatly parted and tied up it almost looked unreal. Her face was also quite heavily plastered in make-up – she almost looked like a doll. It was quite hard to suppress the giggles that were forming in their throats, making them come out in confusing chokes and snorts. Thankfully, none were loud enough for her to hear as she walked in and went straight to Cloud.

"I'll be your manager," the woman said cheerfully, giving him a cheery smile.

"Well, I have nothing against it, but…" said Coates, scratching the back of his head. "This is Ester. She may look kinda funny… But there's no better manager in the races…"

Ester's smiley face turned into a frown as she glared at Coates angrily, putting her hands on her hips in a stubborn, defying way. "That's so rude…" she said fiercely. She then sighed and looked down at herself, before she turned to Cloud again. "Yeah, well. Nice to meet you, Cloud."

Cloud nodded back in reply, as Coates headed briskly towards the door of the office. "All right then, Cloud," he said as he walked. "I'll send you up in the elevator. Ester'll fill you in on the details."

* * *

Within five minutes Cloud and Ester were both standing in the elevator that led out of the prison. As it turned out, the main complex of the prison housed the elevator, close to the pipe where they had all been dropped from the top of the Gold Saucer. It was a slow lift, and was really just a platform rising up a long tunnel, from the bottom of the tunnel up towards the mid-section of the theme park, where Dio had dropped them. 

"Hmm, so that's what happened," Ester said as Cloud finished his story. She turned her gaze to the lift walls, watching the interlocked plates slowly pass by as they rose up. "I'll talk to Dio directly. You just concentrate on the race."

Cloud nodded slowly, thinking that the Chocobo race was enough for him to think about at the time. He was lucky that Ester was the kind of person who was willing to listen, and felt sure that if she explained it to Dio then they would surely be set free. He was still thinking about this when Ester suddenly clicked her fingers, remembering something.

"Oh, yeah, getting back to the other thing," she said to him. "There are many different types of Chocobo jockeys. It's not only for criminals. Some people compete for the fame, some people compete for the money, some only for glory… And then there're people like you. Oh yeah, I'll teach you how to ride a Chocobo."

"All right," Cloud replied.

Ester folded her arms in thought for a moment. "Ummm…" she mumbled thoughtfully. "You can generally move a Chocobo the same way you'd move a horse. Gentle digs in the side will tell the Chocobo to move, and soft tugs on the reins indicate which way you want the Chocobo to turn. For example, if you tug the left side of the rein a little, the Chocobo will turn left, and visa versa. If you want the Chocobo to walk, you give it a gentle dig in the side and a slightly harder one will tell it to run. That sort of thing. But it's pretty hard to make the Chocobo run the way you want it to," she added with a stern tone. "If the Chocobo doesn't like you, it won't listen. You can't really help on this one. But, most of the Chocobo's that I'll provide you with are mellow and you should be able to handle them.

"Now, as for riding the Chocobo, it's also very simple, but complicated as well if you get my meaning. When Chocobos are running they can be very hard to control, and equally hard to maintain balance. That's why you need to make sure you have a steady balance in the middle of the Chocobo's back, holding onto the reins so you won't fall. A Chocobo's speed depends on its stamina. Most of the Chocobo's here have been well-trained and have well developed stamina. But, if you go faster than a Chocobo can handle, it'll lose stamina really fast.

"If you do need to go faster, you should tuck your legs as far as you can around the Chocobo's stomach for grip, then lean forward. This is the sign to the Chocobo, and it will run as fast as it can. This is most advisable when you're dashing for the finish line. Of course, your stamina runs our faster, though.

"There are some bad tempered Chocobos that can't pace themselves and they'll lose their stamina pretty fast. Finally, some advice for the restless, once the first and second Chocobo cross the goal line, the race ends there."

Cloud nodded. It all seemed basic enough. Still, he wasn't too confident, despite Ester's cheerful, optimistic smiles. He hadn't even been able to catch a Chocobo back on the Choco Plains without the help of the others, and he didn't find his chances of winning too good.

Still, with all the others waiting down in the prison for him, he could only try.

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

I hope no one minds the originality of the description for how to ride a Chocobo. I didn't much see the point in using the original, with its press X and so on. Besides, if I was going to use the original, I would have to play the whole game again just to get to that area.

And I'm still indecisive as to whether to split the fic once I complete Part 4 (which, if you want to know, should be after I complete the Cosmo Canyon area), especially since by then I will be over 50 chapters. Another part of me wants to keep it all in one fic, as I am greedy and like to see all of my reviews in the same place. So keep posting me or e-mailing me your ideas of what I should do.

And, finally, to end this rant, thanks again for the reviews, especially those of you who frequently review my fic (you know who you are!) – your opinion is greatly appreciated. And a special message to Cloud-821 – I shall do my best to make Cait Sith less useless and more of a useful, likeable character for you? How's that sound? To be honest I feel somewhat the same way, but Cait has grown on me in the past few months or so.


	45. Part 04: Chapter 45

**Final Fantasy VII**

**Emerald Princess of Vernea**

**Chapter Forty-Five**

After another minute or so of climbing up in the lift, Cloud soon heard the sounds of the Gold Saucer. First he heard the carnival-like music that came from the attractions, quiet at first but growing louder as the lift rose up, fading again as they went by. Then he heard the screams of cheerful riders from the roller coaster as it sped past, although he couldn't see it.

He and Ester didn't say anything else to one another as the lift went up. At first Cloud thought she was just being quiet, until he heard her mumbling quietly to herself. He was beginning to think she was as strange as she looked, but he could just hear her mumbling Chocobo statistics to herself, and he realised what she was doing. She was mulling over all the Chocobos and jockeys in the races, and considering which Chocobo she would give to Cloud for the race.

It was another half a minute before the lift finally came to a halt, stopping with only a slight shudder. Ester finally looked up from her mumbling and pushed the button to open the doors. A wave of cool air heavy with the scent of sugar and popcorn wafted into the lift, hitting Cloud so full on that he felt a little bit sick. Along with the smells came the sudden lift of noise and sounds, and Cloud realised just where they were.

The lift had opened up right at the entrance to the Chocobo Races, the lift quite cleverly disguised by the words 'Staff Only' painted on the door. There was no doubt that no one else knew that the lift went all the way to the bottom of the Gold Saucer, unless they broke any of Dio's rules.

Ester motioned Cloud out of the lift and quickly led him through the crowds of cheering people who were watching the races. She led him towards the back of the Square to another 'Staff Only' door, and quickly pushed him through before she turned to speak to one of the other members of staff.

The door led Cloud straight into the jockey waiting room, where all of the registered Chocobo jockeys were currently waiting for the next race to start. There were maybe a dozen registered jockeys in all, but at that moment there were only five in the waiting room. The others were all currently racing; hence the sounds of cheers and groans from outside as people either won or lost their bets.

Cloud looked around at the group of jockeys, eyeing them over. They were all professionals, dressed in smart and somewhat silly-looking tunics and riding pants, boots and helmets included. Four of them were sat at a table in the middle of the room, playing cards with one another and enjoying the odd cigarette as they waited for their races to start. There was one other jockey leaning against the nearby wall – a smart-looking jockey with neatly trimmed hair and a rather upper-class expression of smugness on his face, although he didn't look unfriendly. He was the only one who looked at Cloud when he came in, and eyed him over as well.

"You new?" he asked of Cloud. His voice also carried the tone of someone from the upper classes. He looked up over Cloud's shoulder as the door behind him opened, and Ester walked into the room, the cheerful smile still on her face.

"Hi, Joe," she greeted as she looked at the upper class jockey.

"Hey, Ester," Joe replied, tilting his riding helmet slightly in politeness. "You're looking pretty as usual."

Cloud noticed Ester's cheeks flush a little as she spoke. "Thanks," she replied. Realising that she was blushing, she quickly turned to Cloud. "Let me introduce you, Cloud. This is Joe, one of the top Chocobo Jockeys."

"Nice to meet you, Cloud," replied Joe, just as politely. He even took a bow, before he suddenly put two and two together and looked up at Cloud again. "If you're with Ester, then…"

Ester nodded, almost proudly. "Right! He's an up and coming jockey," she said enthusiastically. "He's only been down here for a day, and already he made it up here!"

That caught the attention of the entire group of jockey's in the room. The four jockeys who had been playing cards and only half-listening suddenly dropped their cards down onto the table, cigarettes dropping from their mouths and helmets clattering onto the floor.

"What?" they all exclaimed loudly, and four pairs of eyes all gazed upon Cloud. They had encountered a number of prisoners from the Desert Prison trying to get out before, but never before had a prisoner made it up to the races in just a day. Looking Cloud over, he didn't look like anything special, but he must have done something pretty good to earn such a privilege.

Even Joe seemed quite startled. "Oh, I see…" he said, sounding just a little bit nervous. "So what did you do down there? Sorry… you're not supposed to ask about the past here…" He readjusted his helmet, which had become tilted when he jumped back after realising Cloud was a prisoner and not just another jockey. "Pretty interesting…" he commented. "I have a feeling that we'll meet again. Then, until we meet again, Cloud."

With another polite bow and a smile to Ester, Joe then turned away and headed off to the stables to prepare his Chocobo for the race. Cloud watched him leave. Joe wasn't at all like he had expected from someone so clearly upper class. He was not at all snooty and stuck-up, and quite clearly liked the idea of some new competition.

"I'm going to check on the Chocobo," Ester said suddenly, breaking Cloud from his thoughts. "You just wait here for a while."

Then Ester left as well, also going into the stables to prepare the Chocobo she had chosen for Cloud. Once Ester was gone the four remaining jockeys returned to their game, ignoring Cloud for the time being. They clearly had no interest in prisoners riding in the races, although they showed no hostility towards him. Cloud felt a little awkward standing in the middle of the room by himself, so he went over to where Joe had been standing before, and leaned against the wall.

After a minute or two of waiting, the speaker above the stable door finally crackled into life, and a clear masculine voice spoke through.

"The race will start in a few moments. Will the jockeys for the next race, please proceed to the paddock. I repeat…"

Cloud watched as the other jockeys put their cards back down onto the table, put out their cigarettes, picked up their riding helmets and headed briskly towards the stables to collect their Chocobos. Cloud stayed where he was for a few moments, wondering what he was supposed to do.

While he was waiting, his arm slipped off the ledge he was leaning on, and something red and shiny was knocked off and rolled onto the floor. Cloud quickly caught it before it rolled under the table and saw that it was a piece of Materia, just lying around. He hadn't seen this piece of Materia before, although he'd heard of it. The lightning bolts that flashed very faintly inside the red sphere signified that it was Ramuh, the God of Thunder. Quickly Cloud pocketed it, feeling bad about stealing what could have been someone else's Materia, but they needed every bit of help they could get.

"Cloud," came Ester's voice suddenly, and Cloud quickly bolted upright. Ester was standing in the doorway to the stables. Cloud wondered if she had seen him, but when she carried on speaking, he relaxed with the thoughts that she hadn't. "Thanks for waiting. I registered you in the next race. This is a Chocobo I prepared myself. He won't lose easily. Oh yeah… You know how to ride one?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I got it."

"Then, good luck."

* * *

It was very stuffy in the racing arena, Cloud noticed. The Square had been open since morning and had already seen many races already. The stench of Chocobos and sweat filled the air, but that was only because they were all huddled together. It would soon disperse once the race started. 

Ester had certainly provided him with a good Chocobo – a yellow Chocobo named Aimee, born and raised in the Chocobo stables. She was a young but very healthy Chocobo, with a sleek coat of fur and feathers and bright brown eyes. She was also very energetic, which made Cloud wonder if she would use up all her stamina before the race could end. Still, he trusted Ester's opinion.

Joe was also in the race, and gave Cloud a wink as he entered the arena with Aimee. His Chocobo, Grey, was a white Chocobo with neatly trimmed feathers and sharp, focused eyes that eagerly looked at the racecourse, stamping its feet down impatiently. Cloud tried to ignore the intimidating looks of the other jockeys and promptly climbed onto Aimee's back, holding onto the reins as he waited for the race to start.

At that moment the lights signalling the beginning of the race began to flash, and all of the jockeys prepared to launch their Chocobos into a quick, sudden dash to get them a good position at the start. Then, when the last light turned green, the race began.

The jockeys all set off, pushing their Chocobos forward in a quick, sudden dash past the starting line and through the short tunnel that was shaped like a Mog's mouth. Cloud ran with them, startled by the sudden rush of exhilaration that came with the thrill of a race.

As they passed through the Mog Mouth Tunnel and onto the blue path that quickly turned into a rainbow-coloured tunnel, the jockeys finally pulled back on the reins and forced their Chocobos to slow down a little, using just enough stamina to break ahead. Now they were more spaced out and not so cramped together, and that was when the true race began.

Cloud found himself in third place when he pulled on Aimee's reins and forced her to slow down. He could feel her resistance to his commands as she tried to continue dashing forward, but Cloud could not afford to use up all her energy before they were near the end. Eventually Aimee complied and slowed down, but he could still feel her urge to run fast and move past the other racers.

He was not surprised to see Joe leading the race as they moved out of the rainbow tunnel and into the patch of grass and forest, a single red sign with a yellow arrow pointing them round to the right slightly where the rest of the racecourse was waiting for them. Joe's Chocobo had been bred specifically for riding, and with a perfect pace and speed, it looked like it was going to be a tough challenge for Cloud to pass him.

One thing Cloud noticed as they went progressed steadily through the racecourse was just how strange and different every single area was. First had been the Mog tunnel and its blue path, and then into a short rainbow tunnel with its multicoloured walls and floors, so perfectly painted they looked natural, and now they were running on grass. It was not real grass, for Cloud could see the faint signs of dark blue-black of rubber that held the artificial grass up, but it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

The rubber was also helping the Chocobos move along through the racecourse. With each slam of their clawed feet against the floor it seemed to propel them along, giving them extra bursts of speed that wouldn't use up their stamina. Although Cloud was unaware of the position of the other three riders, he could see Joe and the second-place jockey right ahead of him, and Aimee's desire to speed up and pass them. Cloud was having the same feeling, but he knew he had to keep the Chocobo under his control if he was going to have any chance of winning and getting out of the Gold Saucer.

Following the grassy path area came another area that was again distinctly different from the previous areas. The new area had a floor that was like a chess board, covered in black and white squares that ran on and on ahead of them before curving sharply to the right. Cloud saw Joe push his Chocobo a little harder and swerve slightly to the right as he approached the turn, wanting to get close to the wall before the Chocobo ran round and swerved towards the far wall. Cloud figured he ought to do the same, and quickly made Aimee swerve towards the near wall.

It was a lucky thing for Cloud that he did do it right then, for the jockey in front of him swerved just a little too late, so that when he reached the corner and ran round, his Chocobo moved dangerously close to the wall. The realisation of that and a quick flash of panic caused him to tug harshly on his Chocobo's reins, and the Chocobo staggered and nearly fell over. This mistake caused him to stop as Cloud sailed past on his Chocobo, and it was only after another rider passed him that he was able to start again.

Cloud didn't look back as he continued to run around the large bend, focused on keeping Aimee's agile and energetic body in check and as close to the wall as possible so that he didn't lose control of her. He knew when the bend came to an end for he saw Joe ahead of him relax his grip on the reins, and his Chocobo slowed into a less controlled run.

They were now running on an upward slope, heading towards a small wooden bridge with yellow lights shining up on it that would guide them into the next area. Joe was still steadily pulling away from Cloud, and Cloud knew he had to catch up to the rival jockey before he pulled too far ahead, otherwise there would be no way he could win.

Now running on a brown track, passed a gigantic open oyster shell with a huge shimmering pearl glistening inside, Cloud focused on using a little more of Aimee's pent up energy and speed in order to try and pass Joe and get in the lead of the race. He got the feeling that the racer behind him was getting in fairly close and would pass him if he didn't take a risk on Aimee's stamina.

As Ester had told him to do, he dug in his heels slightly and leaned slightly forward. He felt Aimee's relieved response instantly as she began to run faster, but only until Cloud tugged gently on her reins to tell her that was the speed she needed to go. The young Chocobo did as she was told and ran steadily forwards, and they gradually began to catch up on Joe.

Turning around into the next area Cloud was awestruck by the high stone pillars that lined their path, each one tipped with a ball of holographic flames. Even though they were only holograms Cloud could feel the artificial heat against his skin, but Aimee didn't seem to mind it at all. So Cloud kept on leaning forward and pushed her onwards.

A flash of light suddenly zipped past Cloud and made him jump. Aimee squawked loudly and fluttered her wings a little, just as a second wave of eerie green light fell over her and Cloud.

Cloud looked up and saw more holograms floating above the racecourse. Holograms shaped like spaceships – at least two of them – with a number of pointy aerials and domed tops flew overhead, the light coming from the centre like some sort of beam that was scanning them over. Cloud kept his hold on the reins as they ran through that area, trying his hardest to keep Aimee under control.

He was immensely relieved once they passed through into the crystal area, where clumps of blue-shaded crystals bordered the path, and Cloud once again focused on catching up with Joe. Thankfully Joe's Chocobo had also been startled by the holographic UFOs and had fallen back a foot or two, making Cloud a little closer to him.

Cloud used this to his advantage and began to push Aimee in his direction, hoping to pass him on the right before the course swerved around again past a series of showcases containing small black globules. Slowly but surely Aimee gained speed and eventually reached the tail end of Joe's Chocobo, and was steadily getting closer to being level with them.

Joe finally noticed Cloud running up next to him as they passed the showcases and onto a second grassy path, with a log bridge just ahead of them. He smiled at Cloud and gave him a wave as Cloud ran up beside him, clearly enjoying the race more than anything else, and he seemed very impressed that Cloud had managed to catch up with him.

Cloud waved back, before something else caught his eye and he turned the other way. They were now crossing the log bridge, and to their right was a holographic waterfall, with the hologram continuing its realism way below them. There was a holographic rider on the waterfall, sitting in a canoe right on the edge. As Cloud ran past he saw the canoeist turn around sharply and quicken his strokes, trying to break away from the edge before he fell. He failed, however, and he tumbled over the edge and down towards the water. Again Cloud wondered who had designed such a racecourse, with its different areas and strange designs.

He had little time to ponder that for he and Joe were now coming up to what was most likely one of the final areas of the racecourse. The ground beneath them seemed to disappear until it was just a semi-transparent blue path, and, looking around, it looked as though they were running through space itself.

The air around them seemed very dense and Cloud felt as though it was much harder to move. Aimee had ducked her head low and was running almost at an automatic sprint as she ran alongside Joe's Chocobo, almost neck and neck, leaving Cloud to gaze at the scenery.

Below them was a large moon, obviously not life-size but very realistic. Floating above the path was a huge satellite, and Cloud nearly fell off as he craned his neck back to look at it. He didn't take too long to look around, for they were already coming to the end of the space area, and with Aimee pulling just slightly ahead of Joe's Chocobo, he had to be prepared for what would be the final sprint.

As they passed through the final turn of the space area and broke free they rapidly picked up speed again, and Cloud realised that Aimee was now running full tilt, completely out of his control, towards the finish line ahead.

Joe was just a split second behind but was steadily falling back. A quick glance back at his face made Cloud think that he was holding back a little on purpose, which surprised him a little. Still, it made him glad, for now they were in first place and so close to the finish line.

The finish line – a beam of green light that ran horizontally from end to end of the racecourse, flashed brightly as Aimee passed through it. The echo of loud and happy cheers came through the walls of the racecourse as Cloud pulled harshly on the reins and made Aimee skid into a sharp stop.

Joe stopped just a second later and instantly jumped off his Chocobo, pulling off his helmet as he did. He went straight over to Cloud and shook his hand firmly, just as the last of the racers finally pulled into the finishing area.

* * *

"Congratulations!" Ester cried happily. She ran over to Cloud as he entered the waiting room and threw her arms around him cheerfully, despite the fact that he was still hot and flustered from the race. "Now you're home free!" She gave Cloud a tight squeeze before she released him and quickly held out an envelope. "Oh yeah, the owner told me to give this letter to you when you won." 

Cloud took the envelope and ripped it open, wondering what Dio had written. As he slowly unfolded the letter and looked at the hasty joined-up writing, he hoped that Ester had managed to do what she said she would, and they would all be free. He could feel Ester's eager gaze on him, and so he read the letter aloud.

_Boy, if you're reading this letter, then you must've won. And won a victory I'm sure you earned. I heard about Dyne from Ester. Now that you are victorious, I promise that you and all your friends will get a full pardon, and you all will be set free. And also, by way of apology, I prepared a little gift for you to use on your journey. Sorry I couldn't be there to tell you this in person, but I am a very busy man. Sincerely, Dio._

"A gift?" Cloud asked, looking over at Ester. She didn't reply, but there was a smug smile on her face that made him figure she had something to do with it. He never had the chance to ask her, for a buzzing sound in his pocket made him jump. He quickly pulled out the PHS, which Barret had returned to him before they disembarked from the Shinra ship, and turned it on. Aeris's voice came sailing in through the phone, heavy with feelings of excitement and wonder.

_"Cloud, isn't this great!"_ came her voice. _"The assistant manager just stopped by and dropped off a 'buggy' for you! Now you can go over 'deserts' and 'rivers' no problem. Okay, Cloud. I'll be waiting outside."_

The phone then clicked off, and Cloud could just picture Aeris running towards the buggy in her usual state of happiness, eager to take the wheel. Just thinking of that made him shake his head pitifully, his blond hair shaking in front of his eyes. He looked down at the letter and saw faint marks of writing on the other side.

_Hmm? The letter continues…_ he thought, and turned it over to continue reading.

_P.S: I just recently met Sephiroth. He must have a lot of fans with boys your age. Why don't you get his autograph? It seems he's headed towards the South of the river, towards Gongaga._

"Sephiroth…" Cloud whispered softly. He folded up the letter and placed it carefully back in the envelope.

So Sephiroth had been at the Gold Saucer after all. Cloud did wonder how Dio had come to meet him, and even more, how he had got out of it without being killed. But then, from the look of Dio as Cloud remembered, he figured that even Sephiroth would have a hard time getting his sword through those muscles.

"I guess this is goodbye," said Ester, and Cloud looked at her. "Yeah. Well, if you ever get your own Race Chocobo, come back again. I'll take care of your registration and everything. I'll see you again."

* * *

The buggy sure was something, and, as Cloud had expected, Aeris was sitting at the wheel with an excited look on her face. She, Tifa and Cait cheered as Cloud walked up, and he tried to ignore their cheers as he climbed up into the back of the buggy, sitting with Cait and Red XIII, as Barret had taken the seat next to Aeris. 

Cloud was also relieved when Tifa handed his sword back to him. Feeling its familiar weight in his hands and the smoothness of the wide, flat blade, it beat holding Chocobo reins any day. He put it back where it should be – on the strap behind his back, and sat back in the car.

"Where to?" asked Aeris from the driver's seat.

Everyone slowly turned to Cloud, waiting for his answer. Cloud stayed silent for a moment, before he finally looked up and said just one word.

"Gongaga."

* * *

End of Part Four 

You have now reached the end of _Final Fantasy 7: The Story 1st Instalment. _The story will continue on a separate file titled _Final Fantasy 7: The Story 2nd Instalment._ Thank you to all of those who have reviewed this first instalment and made it a success. I hope you will continue to read as we continue this fic soon.

Coming soon:

Final Fantasy 7: The Story 2nd Instalment

Part Five: Study of the Planet

* * *

_**A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS**_

Thank you all so much for reviewing this fic – your opinions are greatly appreciated! I know I said Part Four finishes in Cosmo Canyon, but I decided to end it here so that we can begin in Gongaga in the second instalment! I hope you will all continue reading and reviewing my work!

I will be putting my fic onto my Final Fantasy website soon, so that if it was ever deleted from here, you can find it there.

Again, thank you all so much, and I hope to see you all in the 2nd Instalment!

Sincerely, Emerald Princess of Vernea


End file.
